Cost of Public Four-Year Colleges for Non-Residents

Four-year college and university tuition rates for non-residents are usually comparable to those of private universities. For out-of-state students, the state funding of public universities is not used to help lessen their tuition costs. This is why many students stay closer to home when they complete their undergraduate degree. The tuition rates of public universities for non-resident students, range, on average, between $15,000 and $25,000 a year. Some institutions have even higher rates.
Living expenses are not included in the price of tuition. Typically, a student can expect average costs between $12,000 and $17,000 to pay for annual books, rent, food, transportation, and entertainment. Books alone can cost as much at $2,000 a year, depending on the discipline of study. Out-of-state students also tend to pay more for their cost of living because they live farther from home and traveling expenses are higher.