The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College, The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs to find data that matter to you in your college or graduate school search.
Out-of-state students at U.S. universities typically pay more for their education than their in-state classmates and sometimes even more than students at private institutions.
In fact, at 14 state schools, the total tuition and fees for out-of-state students in the 2017-2018 academic year exceeded $40,000, according to data that more than 400 institutions submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey. That’s more than $6,000 higher than the average tuition and fees — $34,790 — at private undergraduate institutions during the same academic year.
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However, some state colleges break this mold and are bargains for out-of-state students.
At the 10 universities where out-of-state undergraduates pay the least, the average tuition and fees is $8,441, according to U.S. News data. Six of those state schools are located in the Midwest, with another three in the West and one in the South.
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Minot State University, where out-of-state tuition and fees are only $6,810, charges the least. By contrast, the most expensive state undergraduate institution for out-of-state students is the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, where students shell out $47,476 in tuition and fees.
Below is a list of the 10 state-run public undergraduate institutions that had the lowest tuition and fees for out-of-state students in the 2017-2018 academic year. This analysis excludes the U.S. military academies, which ask for service in lieu of tuition. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for this report.
| School name (state) | Tuition and fees (2017-2018) | U.S. News rank and category |
| Minot State University (ND) | $6,810 | RNP*, Regional Universities (Midwest) |
| Alcorn State University (MS) | $6,888 | 95 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Central State University (OH) | $8,096 | RNP, Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
| University of Texas of the Permian Basin | $8,274 | 91 (tie), Regional Universities (West) |
| Southwest Minnesota State University | $8,338 | RNP, Regional Universities (Midwest) |
| Bemidji State University (MN) | $8,644 | 109 (tie), Regional Universities (Midwest) |
| Mayville State University (ND) | $9,084 | 45 (tie), Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
| Dickinson State University (ND) | $9,150 | 51 (tie), Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
| West Texas A&M University | $9,418 | 81 (tie), Regional Universities (West) |
| Texas A&M University–Texarkana | $9,708 | RNP, Regional Universities (West) |
* RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one-fourth of its ranking category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it.
Don’t see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find tuition and fees, complete rankings and much more. Sign up for the U.S. News Extra Help: College Admissions free email newsletter to receive expert advice twice a month.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2017 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The tuition and fees data above are correct as of Sept. 19, 2017.
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10 Universities That Charge Out-of-State Students the Least originally appeared on usnews.com
