15 States with the Highest College Tuition and Fees

Published on August 23, 2023 at 1:38 pm by Ashar Jawad in Industries, Lists, News

In this article, we look at 15 states with the highest college tuition and fees. You can skip our detailed analysis on educational statistics in the US, and head over directly to our article, 5 States With The Highest College Tuition and Fees.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics in its findings established a direct link between an individual’s earnings and level of education attainment. Last year, those who had less than a high school diploma earned $682 a week, whereas individuals with some college or associate degree were making a little over $1,000. On the other hand, bachelor’s and master’s degree holders were earning $1,432 and $1,661, respectively, indicating that income tends to rise with more education.

According to the US Census Bureau, in 2021, about 14.9% of the American population aged 25 and above had some college education but not a degree, whereas 10.5% held an associate degree. In terms of higher education, 23.5% had completed a bachelor’s degree, while 14.4% had a master’s or another advanced degree as their highest level of education.

Making College Education More Accessible

Several corporations in the US are making education more accessible by offering tuition reimbursement programs for their employees, and in some instances their children as well. This includes Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) which in 2021 announced to spend up to $1.2 billion on education and skills training for its workforce, including a program to pay 100% of the cost of education for hourly wage employees in the company, which would cover their tuition, fees, and books. Over 750,000 workers of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) are eligible for this program.

Like Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), another company offering education incentives for its employees is FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX), where ground package handlers can claim up to $5,250 in tuition reimbursements. FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) also maintains a partnership with Robert Morris University, which allows employees who have completed college education to get enrolled for a university degree at a discount. Under this initiative, FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) workers can work and also attain higher education through online classes from anywhere they wish to.

The Live Better U (LBU) education program was launched by Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) in 2021 to cover 100% of the college education costs of its employees. Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) plans on investing $1 billion over five years till 2026 on this initiative, which is likely to enable 1.5 million workers in the company to avail this incentive. Considering that Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) is one of the largest retail companies in the world, and the biggest private employer in the US, the Live Better U program has the potential to also boost the education industry on a whole along with increasing the level of educational attainment of its workforce.

Besides companies that offer reimbursement programs, it is worth mentioning the contribution of Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s Office 365 Education program in making education more affordable and accessible. Students and teachers at schools, colleges and universities can sign up for the program and avail free access to Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)’s platforms such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more. All of these tools are taught in educational institutions across the world and are widely used in the job market as well.

Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

High costs of education often force students to take loans to pay their tuition and fees. $29,000 is owed on average by each borrower who took out a student loan. All 50 states in the US offer some kind of a loan relief program that could be availed to pay off all or part of your loan balance, in exchange for working or providing services in professions the state requires you to.

California, for instance, offers loan assistance up to $50,000 for full time healthcare workers who are willing to serve for at least two years in a federally designated shortage area with an underserved community. Kansas provides $15,000 in loan relief to students moving into the state’s Rural Opportunity Zones. While loan assistance programs and their requirements vary by state, it has been observed in a report by Forbes that professions like healthcare workers, dentists, veterinarians, and teachers qualify for these programs more than other occupations do.

Methodology

We have used the Annual Survey of Colleges released by The College Board in 2022 to rank states with the highest college tuition and fees in America. Average tuition and fees for in-district students enrolled in two-year college programs in public institutions of the US were considered. States are ranked in ascending order of average tuition and fees. Alaska is not part of our analysis, as results for the state were not included in the Annual Survey of Colleges.

If interested, you can also take a look at states that have the most affordable college education in our recent article, 15 States With The Lowest College Tuition and Fees.

15 States With the Highest College Tuition and Fees

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Let’s now head over to the list of states with the highest college tuition and fees.

15. Virginia

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,230

Virginia is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It ranks as the seventh most educated state in terms of higher education attainment, and also fares well when it comes to college education, with approximately 42% of the youth aged between 18 and 24 holding a college or associate degree.

14. Ohio

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,569

It is likely that high tuition and fees, income disparity and a poverty rate of over 12% are reasons why college educational attainment in Ohio comparatively remains lower (38.5%) than in some of its other counterpart states. An estimated 11.5% of the youth has not completed high school education either according to the Census Bureau.

13. North Dakota

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,649

North Dakota is located in the Midwest of the United States. The cost of college education in the state has dropped 4.70% over the last one year, according to the Annual Survey of Colleges. There are 14 public colleges and universities in the state, enrolling more than 40,000 students across different disciplines. Nearly half of the state’s youth (48.8%) have a college or associate degree. This is one of the highest rates of college education attainment in the United States.

12. New Jersey

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,667

New Jersey ranks as the fourth most educated state in the US when it comes to attainment of higher education (bachelor’s degree or higher). More than 40% of the youth also hold a college or associate degree. While the cost of college education in New Jersey remains high, it has been on a steady decline having dropped by 2.80% over the last five years.

11. Kentucky

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,700

Nearly 40% of the population in Kentucky aged between 18 and 24 have completed some college or associate degree. It costs an average of $5,700 to complete a two-year college degree in the state. Berea College, Centre College, Alice Lloyd College, and Georgetown College are some prominent educational institutions in the southeastern state for college education.

10. New York

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,746

New York is among the most educated states in the country. Average cost spent by in-district students on college tuition and fees has reduced by more than 10% over the last five years, but despite that, New York ranks as the 10th most expensive state to get a college degree in. 41.7% of the youth in the state have some college or associate degree.

9. Pennsylvania

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,793

An estimated 37.9% of Pennsylvania’s youth aged between 18 and 24 have a college degree. This is below the national average of 41% for this age group. Pennsylvania ranks ninth in the list of states with the highest college tuition and fees. However, cost of college education has come down over the last few years, dropping 9.20% since 2018.

8. South Carolina

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $5,940

More than 40% of South Carolina’s youth have a college or associate degree. The southeastern state is home to prominent educational institutions such as Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Fortis College, and Southeastern College among others. A two-year college degree in South Carolina costs $5,940 according to the Annual Survey of Colleges, after a drop of 7.20% in average college expenses compared to last year.

7. Iowa

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $6,033

College tuition and fees have dropped 3.70% compared to last year in Iowa. However, it still ranks among states with costly college education, with a two-year degree on average costing over $6,000. Some prominent colleges in the state offering two-year college degrees are Des Moines Area Community College, Eastern Iowa Community College, and Marshalltown Community College. 46.9% of Iowa’s population aged between 18 and 24 have a college or associate degree, according to the Census Bureau.

6. Minnesota

Two-Year College Tuition and Fees: $6,134

Located along the border with Canada in the Midwest, Minnesota is one of the most educated states in the US and is home to several quality educational institutions. More than 43% of the population aged between 18 and 24 have a college or associate degree despite tuition and fees being on the higher side.

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