Paying for college tuition is difficult for any middle-income family, but with prices increasing amongst all institutions, the most expensive public universities in the US seem almost cheap. In fact, the most recent listing of the country’s public university fees shows a 13% increase over the past couple of years, with the state of Pennsylvania leading the ranks. This is due to the states reduced budget spending on higher education, making colleges much pricier than in other parts of the country.
We recently published an article about the 10 most expensive boarding schools in the world, some of which reside in the United States. And while tuition at the country’s public universities is much lower than boarding schools, it can still be a burden for low-income students. The national average for in-state tuition is $7,407, but the schools on our list charge almost twice that amount for full-time beginning students. So let’s take a look at the most expensive public universities in the US and where they’re located.
10. Pennsylvania College of Technology
Annual tuition: $14,370
Notable alumni: Tom Marino, Jake Corman, Gary Haluska, Bobby Laurie
Located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, this school is also known as Penn College. As an applied technology college its student body counts 76% full-time students and a total of 62% males, which are all enrolled in one of the 100 certificate, associate, or baccalaureate degree programs.
9. The College of New Jersey
Annual tuition: $14,378
Notable alumni: Shirley Turner, Holly Black, Michael Vega, Joseph A. Mussomeli
This coeducational university in Ewing Township, New Jersey, has been around since 1855 and is considered one of the best schools in the state, admitting less than 43% of all applied students. Its education program stands out in the fields of business, humanities, and science, amongst others.
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Annual tuition: $14,522
Notable alumni: Nick Offerman, Roger Ebert, Jawed Karim, Steve Chen
Specifically known for its extensive and dedicated research activities, this land-grant university is the second oldest in the state of Illinois and also holds the fifth-largest library in the country, and the second-largest university library after Harvard.
7. New Jersey Institute of Technology
Annual tuition: $14,740
Notable alumni: Nirwan Ansari, Vince Naimoli, Sohail Mohammed, Ellen M. Pawlikowski
At walking distance from Newark, this public research university is known as New Jersey’s Science and Technology centre, featuring five colleges and over 10,000 students. One of the most sought-after schools in the state, NJIT offers 126 degrees including 78 graduate programs.
6. St. Mary’s College of Maryland
Annual tuition: $14,773
Notable alumni: Farrah Hall, Luis Huergo, Julie Croteau
As one of the only two schools in the US with the title of public honors college, St. Mary’s student body is significantly smaller than our previous contenders. 2,000 students are enrolled in the secular, liberal arts college which offers bachelor’s degrees in 24 areas of study.
5. University of Vermont
Annual tuition: $15,284
Notable alumni: John Dewey, Ben Affleck, Jessica Seinfeld, Martin St. Louis
The second land-gran university on our list is also one of the oldest institutions in the country, founded in 1791 in Burlington. It’s expensive in-state tuition price, however, is acceptable amongst many students due to UVM’s status of “public Ivy”.
“UVM Williams Hall building 20040101“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
4. Colorado School of Mines
Annual tuition: $15,654
Notable alumni: George Saunders, Antônio Ermírio de Moraes, Shane Carwin
Located in Golden, Colorado, this engineering and applied science school specializes in the development of the Earth’s natural resources. It’s also considered the 88th best national university by the US News and World Report.
“CSM E-Days Walk 2010” by ChrisEngelsma – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
3. University of New Hampshire – Main Campus
Annual tuition: $16,422
Notable alumni: Corey Graham, Sean McDonnell, James van Riemsdyk
A student body of 15,000, this university holds the title as the largest higher education institution in the state of New Hampshire and is one of nine land, sea, and space grant universities in the country. While tuition is somewhat cheaper in the Manchester and Concord campuses, the main campus, located in Durham, tells a different tale.
“CongreveAcrossTHall” by Kylejtod at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia by SreeBot. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons.
2. Pennsylvania State University – Main Campus
Annual tuition: $16,444
Notable alumni: NaVorro Bowman, Terrence Pegula
Known as Penn State, this university focuses on state-related research and offers over 160 majors to its massive student body of 94,300, 45,000 of which are enrolled in the pricier University Park flagship campus. This school is also considered a “public Ivy”.
“Curtin Road at PSU” by CyberXRef – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
1. University of Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh Campus
Annual tuition: $16,590
Notable alumni: Larry Fitzgerald, LeSean McCoy, Mark May
Although this institution used to be privately held, it took on the role of a public university in 1966 as part of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education. Its body of 28,766 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students flock to the 132-acre Pittsburgh campus for its historical architecture, but also for its “best value” status in higher education.
“HeinzChapelSouth” by Original uploader was Crazypaco at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; Transfer was stated to be made by User:Crazypaco.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
