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.
There are out-of-state colleges and universities that offer affordable tuition to nonresident students.
In fact, more than 200 public institutions charge less than $20,000 in tuition and fees for the 2018-2019 school year, according to data submitted by 475 ranked institutions to U.S. News in an annual survey. U.S. News data show that the average out-of-state tuition and fees charged among ranked public institutions is slightly more than $21,500.
[Read: 10 Most, Least Expensive Private Colleges.]
Alcorn State University in Mississippi charges the least among public institutions, with an out-of-state sticker price of $6,938 for the 2018-2019 school year. That’s 29 percent less than the average in-state tuition and fees — $9,716 — charged by ranked public institutions and an eye-popping 68 percent less compared with the average out-of-state rate.
Among the 10 public universities where out-of-state undergraduates pay the least, the average tuition and fees is around $7,500, according to U.S. News data. Three of these institutions are located in Mississippi. Jackson State University, which is based in the Magnolia State’s capital, is the only National University to make this list. National Universities are institutions that offer a range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees and emphasize research.
[Read: Colleges That Rank the Highest in the Best Value Rankings.]
At the other end of the spectrum, the most expensive public institution for out-of-state undergraduates is the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. The Big Ten Conference school charges out-of-state students more than $49,000 for tuition and fees.
Below is a list of the 10 public undergraduate institutions that had the lowest tuition and fees for out-of-state students in the 2018-2019 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 (2018-2019) | U.S. News rank and category |
| Alcorn State University (MS) | $6,938 | 89 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Mississippi University for Women | $6,940 | 58 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Minot State University (ND) | $7,064 | 128-165, Regional Universities (Midwest) |
| University of North Carolina–Pembroke | $7,418 | 102 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Grambling State University (LA) | $7,435 | 107-141, Regional Universities (South) |
| Jackson State University (MS) | $7,621 | 230-301, National Universities |
| Elizabeth City State University (NC) | $7,673 | 71 (tie), Regional Universities (South) |
| Mayville State University (ND) | $8,033 | 43, Regional Colleges (Midwest) |
| Texas A&M University–Texarkana | $8,120 | 96-127, Regional Universities (West) |
| Eastern New Mexico University | $8,128 | 96-127, Regional Universities (West) |
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 2018 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. 25, 2018.
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10 Universities That Charge Out-of-State Students the Least originally appeared on usnews.com
