Average Cost Of College (2025): Worldwide Statistics

The average cost of college is one of the main reasons students think twice about getting admitted to the course they like. If you have just completed high school and are looking to get admitted to the college you like, you must consider the college costs. 

To provide detailed insights into college costs, I have compiled the latest facts and figures about the college costs required in different Universities, states, regions, and Institution types. 

So, without any further delay, let’s get started. 

Average Cost Of College: Top Picks (2025)

Exploring college costs factors, trends, and implications. Vital insights for informed decisions and a brighter academic future.

If you are in a hurry and don’t have sufficient time to get into the details, here are the top picks that will help you out. 

1. The average cost of college has increased with a growth rate of 2% over the past years.

2. The average cost of an in-state public four-year college is predicted to be $25,290. 

3. The average cost of college recorded in the Public 4-year out-of-state college is $40,940. 

4. Two-year public colleges have a total college cost of $17,580.

5. The cost of college recorded in the private four-year college is $50,900.

6. The tuition cost of an in-state public college is $9,970, while that of an out-state public college is $34,740.

7. The room and board costs for the public four-year in-state and out-state colleges are $10,800 per year. 

8. The other expenses recorded in the public two-year college are $2,410. While that in private four-year colleges is approximately $1,700. 

9. The book and supplies costs in the public two-year costs are $1,420, and that in the public four-year colleges is $1,250. Further, in private four-year institutions, it is recorded as $1,220.
10. The transportation costs recorded in all the colleges range between $1,030 to $1,780.

Average Cost Of College: A Breakdown Of Costs. 

The costs of the college include various costs and fees like tuition costs, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other expenses. 

In this section, I have provided a detailed breakdown of the average college costs as of 2023. 

Type Of Cost	Public Two-Year (In-District)	Public Four-Year (In-State	Public Four-Year (Out-Of-State)	Private Four-Year
Tuition	$3,570	$9,970	$25,620	$34,740
Room and board	$8,400	$10,800	$10,800	$12,210
Books and supplies	$1,420	$1,250	$1,250	$1,220
Transportation	$1,780	$1,170	$1,170	$1,030
Other expenses	$2,410	$2,100	$2,100	$1,700
Total cost	$17,580	$25,290	$40,940	$50,900

Source: college board, NCES. 

Average Cost Of College By University Type

11. The average cost of attendance in a private college is $57,570 as of the academic year 2022-2023. 

While the cost of attendance in the public in-state college is $27,940, and that of the out-state public college is  $45,240. 

The following table displays the average cost of attendance recorded in the private and public colleges as of the Academic year 2022-2023. 

College Type	Cost Of Attendance
private college	$57,570
public in-state	$27,940
out-state public	$45,240

Source: Collgedata.com.

12.  The average cost of attendance in a 4-year Non-profit institution is $54,501, and the cost of tuition is $38,768.

At the same time, the cost of attendance in a 4-Year For-profit institution in the United States is $32,895, and the cost of tuition is $17,825.

Besides, the cost of attendance in a 2-year nonprofit institution is $33,007, and in the 2-Year For-profit, it is recorded to be $27,246.

The following table displays the cost of attendance and cost of tuition fees recorded in private institutions in the United States. 

Institution Type	Cost Of Attendance	Cost Of Tuition
2-Year For-profit	$15,627	$27,246
2-Year Nonprofit	$17,735	$33,007
4-Year For-profit	$17,825	$32,895
4-Year Nonprofit	$38,768	$54,501

Source: educationdata.org. 

Average Cost Of College By States

13. The highest Out of state tuition costs are recorded in Vermont. 

It has out-of-state tuition costs of $38,990. The second state with the highest out-of-state costs is Michigan, with $36,840 in tuition costs, and the third one is Virginia, with a tuition cost of $33,270. 

The following table displays the state with the highest out-of-state tuition costs. 

State	Out-Of-State Tuition Costs
Vermont	$38,990
Michigan	$36,840
Virginia	$33,270
California	$32,590
South Carolina	$31,350
Hawaii	$31,090
Delaware	$30,970
Colorado	$30,600
Oregon	$30,300
Arizona	$29,750

14. South Dakota has the lowest Out-of-state tuition costs in the United States. It has a tuition fee of $12,480. 

Besides, the second state with the lowest tuition fees in the nation is Wyoming, with tuition costs of $16,830. Plus, the third and the fourth states with the lowest tuition costs are recorded as Mississippi and North Dakota, with fees of $19,060 and $19,420. 

Here is a table displaying the states with the lowest out-of-state tuition fees. 

State	Out-Of-State Tuition Costs
South Dakota	$12,480
Wyoming	$16,830
Mississippi	$19,060
North Dakota	$19,420
New York	$19,500
New Mexico	$20,060
Nebraska	$20,310
Utah	$20,730
Minnesota	$20,890
Arkansas	$21,000

Source: Collegedata.com. 

5.) The highest in-state tuition costs in the United States are recorded in New Hampshire. It has a tuition cost of $16,070. 

Vermont has the second-highest in-state tuition in the United States. The state has an average in-state tuition fee of $16,040. At the same time, Pennsylvania and New Jersey are the third and fourth states with the highest in-state tuition costs. 

Here is a table displaying the states in the United States with the highest in-state tuition costs. 

State	Out-Of-State Tuition Costs
New Hampshire	$16,070
Vermont	$16,040
Pennsylvania	$14,440
New Jersey	$13,870
Illinois	$13,620
Michigan	$12,930
Virginia	$12,820
Massachusetts	$12,730
South Carolina	$12,610
Connecticut	$12,390
Delaware	$12,270

Source: Collegedata.com, NCES. 

15. The lowest In-state tuition costs are recorded in Wyoming. It has an in-state tuition cost of $5,220. 

The second state with the lowest in-state tuition is recorded to be Florida, with $6,360 tuition costs. Utah and Montana are the third and fourth states with the lowest in-state tuition fees.

The following table displays the states with the lowest in-state tuition costs.

State	In-State Tuition Costs
Wyoming	$5,220
Florida	$6,360
Utah	$6,790
Montana	$6,910
New Mexico	$6,920
Idaho	$7,250
Nevada	$7,270
North Carolina	$7,380
Alaska	$7,440
West Virginia	$7,890
New York	$7,940
Mississippi	$7,990

Source: College Board.

Average Cost Of College By Region

16. The average cost of college in the Middle States is recorded to be $5120 in public two-year colleges, while that in public four-year colleges is recorded to be $11,220. 

Comparatively, in the New England region, the average cost of colleges in Public four-year colleges is $12,990, while that in two-year colleges is $5,370.

The following table displays the average cost of colleges in different regions of the United States.

Region	Public Two-Year Colleges	Public Four-Year Colleges
Middle States	$5,120	$11,220
MidWest	$4,220	$10,460
New England	$5,370	$12,990
South	$3,770	$9290
Southwest	$2,780	$9,330
West	$2,380	$9,450

Source: The College Board.

Average Cost Of College By Degree Type

17. The average cost of college for a bachelor’s degree is $8,230, while that for a Masters’s degree is recorded to be $8,670 for public four-year colleges. 

On the other hand, the cost of a bachelor’s degree in a private nonprofit four-year college is $33,450, while that for a master’s degree is $29,960. 

Here is a table displaying the average cost of colleges recorded for different degrees for the four-year colleges.

Degree	Public Four-Year	Private Nonprofit Four-Year
Bachelors degree	$8,230	$33,450
Masters degree	$8,670	$29,960
Doctoral Degree	$10,830	$42,920

Source: College Board.

Average Costs Of Flagship Universities

18. The University of Wyoming has the lowest in-state tuition. It has a tuition cost of $5,217. 

The following table displays the flagship Universities with the lowest in-state tuition costs. 

State	In-State Tuition Costs
University of Wyoming	$5,217
University of Florida	$6,381
University of Montana	$7,063
University of New Mexico	$7,146
University of Idaho	$7,488
University of Alaska Fairbanks	$7,518
University of Nevada: Reno	$7,538
University of Mississippi	$8,300
West Virginia University	$8,376
University of North Dakota	$8,447

Source: College Board. 

19. Apart from that, the University of Pennsylvania State has the highest in-state tuition costs of $18,436. 

The following table displays the flagship universities with the highest in-state tuition costs in the United States. 

State	In-State Tuition Costs
Pennsylvania State University Park	$18,436
University of New Hampshire	$18,067
University of Vermont	$17,740
University of Virginia	$16,076
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	$15,868
University of Massachusetts: Amherst	$15,596
University of Connecticut	$14,880
University of Michigan	$14,826
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: New Brunswick Campus	$14,638
University of Minnesota: Twin Cities	$14,417

20. The lowest out-of-State tuition costs are recorded in South Dakota. It has a tuition cost of $12,020. 

Here is a table displaying the flagship Universities with the lowest out-of-state tuition costs.

State	Ou-State Tuition Costs
University of South Dakota	$12,020
University of Wyoming	$16,827
University of North Dakota	$20,324
University of Nevada: Reno	$21,726
University of New Mexico	$22,037
University of Alaska Fairbanks	$22,908
University of Mississippi	$23,564
West Virginia University	$23,616
University of Idaho	$23,812
University of Nebraska: Lincoln	$24,201

Source: College Board.

21. The University of Michigan has the highest out-of-state tuition costs. The tuition costs recorded in the University are $47,476. 

The following table displays the flagship Universities with the highest tuition costs. 

State	Ou-State Tuition Costs
University of Michigan	$47,476
University of Virginia	$46,604
University of California: Berkeley	$41,942
University of Vermont	$41,356
University of Texas at Austin	$36,984
University of Connecticut	$36,948
University of Colorado at Boulder	$36,220
University of Washington	$35,538
University of Arizona	$35,307
Indiana University: Bloomington	$34,845

Source: College Board. 

Average Cost Of Tuition

22. The majority of the 4-year undergraduate students reported that they are paying tuition between $600 to $15,000. 

At the same time, only 2.8% of the students said they paid a tuition fee of less than $6000. Further, more than 6.5% of the students are paying tuition of $48,00 or more. 

Here is a table displaying the percentage of students paying different amounts of tuition fees at 4-year institutions. 

Tuition Fee Range	Percentage Of Students.
Under $6000	2.8%
$6000 to $11,999	46.7%
$12,000 to $17,999	14.2%
$18,000 to $23,999	5.6%
$24,000 to $29,999	7.2%
$30,000 to $35,999	7.2%
$36,000 to $41,999	5.2%
$42,000 to $47,999	4.4%
$48,000 and more	6.5%

23. The average cost of tuition at any 4-year institution is almost 54% of the college costs the students face. 

24. At public 4-year institutions, the average in-state tuition and the required fees are 37% of the cost of attendance. 

25. The tuition fees at the non-profit 4-year institution are equivalent to 69.1% of the student’s college costs. 

26. The average tuition and other fees at for-profit institutions is almost 574% of the cost of attendance.

27. 2.60% of the public colleges, 3.10% of the private colleges, and 2.80% of the private and public colleges have tuition of less than $6000. 

At the same time, 35.30% of public college students and 4.70% of private colleges have tuition fees ranging between $6,000 to $8,999. 

The following table displays the tuition fees recorded in public and private institutions.

Published Tuition And Fees	Public,	Private	Private, And Public
Under $6,000	2.60%	3.10%	2.80%
$6,000 to $8,999	35.30%	4.70%	25.60%
$9,000 to $11,999	29.80%	2.50%	21.10%
$12,000 to $14,999	14.80%	1.50%	10.60%
$15,000 to $17,999	4.10%	2.60%	3.60%
$18,000 to $20,999	2.70%	2.90%	2.80%

28. None of the public colleges have tuition fees ranging between $48,000 and above. 

However, 7.60% of private colleges have tuition costs ranging between $48,000 to $50,000, and 13.00% of private colleges have $51,000 and over tuition costs.

Here is a table displaying the percentage of students paying the highest fees in public and private colleges. 

Published Tuition And Fees	Public,	Private	Private, And Public
$36,000 to $38,999	0.40%	7.80%	2.70%
$39,000 to $41,999	0.40%	7.10%	2.50%
$42,000 to $44,999	0.10%	7.00%	2.30%
$45,000 to $47,999	0.30%	6.00%	2.10%
$48,000 to $50,000	0.00%	7.60%	2.40%
$51,000 and over	0.00%	13.00%	4.10%

29. The average tuition fee at any 2-year institution is 26% of the cost of attendance. 

30. The tuition fees are approximately equal to 24% of the cost of attendance in public 2-year institutions. 

31. At private for-profit 2-year colleges, the tuition and other fees are approximately equal to 57% of the cost of attendance. 

32. At private 20-year institutions or in community colleges, the tuition and other fees to attend the college are approximately equal to 24% of the cost of attendance. 

Source: College Board, NCES, education data. 

Average Cost Of Books & Supplies

The average costs of books and supplies differ in all the programs and institutions. This price depends on the field you study at the tools you require. 

However, we have compiled the details about the average costs required to purchase books and other supplies in different college institutions. 

33. The average cost of books at public 45-year institutions is $1,216 per year. 
34. The books and supplies at the private non-profit institution are recorded to be $1,226, while that at the private for-profit institutions is $1,035.
35. At private nonprofit institutions, the students pay an average of $867 per year, and at private for-profit institutions, the students pay $1,416 on average per year for books and supplies. 
36. Students pay an average of  $1,442 each year for the supplies like books and other required stationary items. 

History Of College Costs In The United States.

The average cost of public colleges in the academic year 1977 to 1988 was recorded to be $8,180.

At the same time, the average cost of private colleges was $17,010. These college costs grew to $46,950 in the year 2017- 2018. 

Besides, the average college costs at public institutions reached $20,770 in the academic year 2017- 2018. 

The following table displays the increase observed in the college costs of private and public colleges recorded over the past years. 

Academic Year	Average College Costs In The Public Colleges.	Average College Costs In The Private Colleges.
1977-1978	$8,180	$17,010
1987-1988	$9,030	$22,490
1997-1998	$11,390	$29,530
2007-2008	$15,930	$37,600
2017-2018	$20,770	$46,950

Source: College Board, NCES. 

Related Read:

• Average Cost Of Master’s Degree
• Average Student Loan Debt
• Average College Tuition
• How Many Schools In The US
• Average Income In The US

Conclusion: Average Cost Of College (2025)

That was all about the average costs of college from my side. 

Considering all the facts and figures, the college cost of college is predicted to grow further in the upcoming years, and most students take support loans and scholarships.

So, if you are aiming to get into the top college, make sure to start saving and also try to keep your grades up. This will support you in claiming scholarships and getting into a good college. 

For further facts and figures related to colleges, check out our website. 

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