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Flagship Universities With the Highest In-State and Out-of-State Tuition and Fees

By Chronicle Staff October 28, 2018

The three flagship institutions with the highest in-state published tuition and fees saw decreases in the number of in-state first-time students from 2006 to 2016, but so did the three with the lowest tuition. Increases in out-of-state tuition and fees, in most cases, did not seem to have a negative impact on the enrollment of nonstate residents over the past decade, with out-of-state first-time enrollment tending to grow at a much faster rate than in-state enrollment. Only four flagships saw a drop in the number of first-time out-of-state students from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2016, while 20 flagships experienced a decrease in the number of first-time in-state students over that decade.

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The three flagship institutions with the highest in-state published tuition and fees saw decreases in the number of in-state first-time students from 2006 to 2016, but so did the three with the lowest tuition. Increases in out-of-state tuition and fees, in most cases, did not seem to have a negative impact on the enrollment of nonstate residents over the past decade, with out-of-state first-time enrollment tending to grow at a much faster rate than in-state enrollment. Only four flagships saw a drop in the number of first-time out-of-state students from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2016, while 20 flagships experienced a decrease in the number of first-time in-state students over that decade.

In-state costs and enrollment

RankInstitution2018-19 tuition and feesOne-year change in tuition and fees10-year change in tuition and fees10-year change in first-time undergraduates
1. U. of New Hampshire $18,499 -0.5% 37.4% -22.1%
2. Pennsylvania State U. at University Park $18,454 -2.8% 17.5% -17.1%
3. U. of Vermont $18,276 0.1% 24.2% -13.1%
4. U. of Virginia $16,520 -0.2% 51.7% 24.8%
5. U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign $16,004 -2.0% 14.1% -11.2%
6. U. of Massachusetts at Amherst $15,887 0.1% 33.1% 3.8%
7. U. of Connecticut $15,730 2.7% 47.0% 11.9%
8. U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor $15,262 0.0% 20.7% -1.6%
9. Rutgers U. at New Brunswick $14,974 -0.6% 13.3% 12.1%
10. U. of Minnesota-Twin Cities $14,693 -1.0% 20.6% 6.8%
11. U. of California at Berkeley $14,184 -1.1% 61.7% 24.4%
12. U. of Rhode Island $14,138 -0.4% 42.2% -1.2%
13. U. of Delaware $13,680 1.0% 38.1% 23.8%
14. U. of Tennessee at Knoxville $13,006 -2.6% 81.6% 8.8%
15. U. of South Carolina $12,616 -0.1% 24.6% 4.7%
16. U. of Colorado at Boulder $12,532 0.7% 50.3% 2.4%
17. U. of Arizona $12,487 2.1% 97.1% 12.7%
18. U. of Kentucky $12,245 1.0% 38.2% 0.9%
19. U. of Hawaii-Manoa $11,970 -0.9% 66.9% 7.1%
20. Louisiana State U. at Baton Rouge $11,950 2.1% 105.1% 15.1%
21. U. of Oregon $11,898 -0.1% 61.4% -13.2%
22. U. of Georgia $11,830 -2.8% 86.7% 10.3%
23. U. of Oklahoma at Norman $11,763 -1.0% 38.3% 8.5%
24. U. of Washington $11,207 -0.8% 41.6% 2.9%
25. U. of Maine at Orono $11,170 -0.5% 7.1% -14.9%
26. U. of Kansas $11,148 0.0% 26.3% -19.1%
27. U. of Alabama at Tuscaloosa $10,780 -2.9% 47.0% -16.8%
28. Ohio State U. $10,726 -1.6% 7.9% -1.3%
29. Indiana U. at Bloomington $10,681 -1.5% 13.3% -1.0%
30. U. of Texas at Austin $10,622 -0.9% 8.7% 13.1%
31. U. of Maryland at College Park $10,595 -1.0% 15.5% 16.4%
32. U. of Wisconsin at Madison $10,555 -2.7% 21.7% 9.1%
33. U. at Buffalo $10,099 -0.2% 40.3% 13.6%
34. U. of Missouri at Columbia $9,880 -1.9% 1.6% -18.6%
35. U. of Iowa $9,267 0.4% 23.6% 15.6%
36. U. of Utah $9,222 1.5% 52.3% 11.5%
37. U. of Nebraska at Lincoln $9,154 -0.1% 21.3% 10.7%
38. U. of Arkansas at Fayetteville $9,130 -2.1% 24.5% 28.7%
39. U. of South Dakota $9,061 0.3% 35.7% -1.0%
40. U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $8,987 -3.1% 45.3% 10.0%
41. West Virginia U. $8,856 2.7% 51.6% -2.2%
42. U. of North Dakota $8,695 0.0% 16.5% -17.5%
43. U. of Mississippi $8,660 1.3% 48.0% 21.7%
44. U. of Alaska at Fairbanks $8,087 4.5% 46.2% -4.1%
45. U. of Idaho $7,864 2.0% 48.2% 19.1%
46. U. of Nevada at Reno $7,764 0.0% 48.6% 29.8%
47. U. of New Mexico $7,322 -0.5% 32.2% 3.4%
48. U. of Montana at Missoula $7,244 -0.4% 22.8% -32.3%
49. U. of Florida $6,381 -2.9% 47.0% -2.9%
50. U. of Wyoming $5,400 0.5% 30.2% -14.8%
Median for 50 flagships $11,159 -0.3% 37.7% 4.2%

Out-of-state costs and enrollment

RankInstitution2018-19 tuition and feesOne-year change in tuition and fees10-year change in tuition and fees10-year change in first-time undergraduates
1. U. of Michigan at Ann Arbor $49,350 1.0% 30.3% 69.3%
2. U. of Virginia $47,562 0.6% 39.3% 11.3%
3. U. of California at Berkeley $43,176 0.0% 33.3% 285.8%
4. U. of Vermont $42,516 -0.1% 25.0% 0.0%
5. U. of Connecticut $38,098 0.2% 38.3% 31.5%
6. U. of Texas at Austin $37,724 -0.9% 18.6% 60.4%
7. U. of Colorado at Boulder $37,286 0.0% 21.6% 29.9%
8. U. of Wisconsin at Madison $36,805 2.8% 47.2% 21.1%
9. U. of Washington $36,588 0.0% 36.9% 94.9%
10. U. of Arizona $36,386 0.1% 70.2% 53.7%
11. U. of Oregon $35,478 -0.4% 54.9% 75.7%
12. Indiana U. at Bloomington $35,456 -1.2% 24.9% 27.0%
13. U. of Maryland at College Park $35,216 1.8% 33.2% 12.7%
14. U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $35,170 -1.2% 37.7% 16.7%
15. Pennsylvania State U. at University Park $34,858 0.6% 22.0% 51.7%
16. U. of Massachusetts at Amherst $34,570 0.3% 37.7% 25.0%
17. U. of Delaware $34,310 0.5% 41.8% 22.2%
18. U. of Hawaii-Manoa $34,002 -2.2% 75.5% 36.4%
19. U. of New Hampshire $33,879 0.8% 17.2% 9.3%
20. U. of South Carolina $33,298 -0.1% 26.9% 93.0%
21. U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign $32,574 -1.1% 9.3% 139.9%
22. Rutgers U. at New Brunswick $31,282 -0.6% 27.1% 136.8%
23. U. of Iowa $31,233 -0.9% 32.0% 53.0%
24. U. of Tennessee at Knoxville $31,196 -2.8% 44.0% 48.4%
25. U. of Maine at Orono $30,970 -0.7% 20.1% 128.5%
26. U. of Rhode Island $30,862 -0.2% 8.7% 35.8%
27. Ohio State U. $30,742 0.6% 20.3% 186.7%
28. U. of Georgia $30,404 -2.8% 18.8% -11.1%
29. U. of Minnesota-Twin Cities $30,371 10.9% 81.1% 8.9%
30. U. of Alabama at Tuscaloosa $29,230 1.0% 41.7% 247.2%
31. U. of Utah $29,215 1.1% 53.6% 74.5%
32. U. of Kentucky $29,099 1.5% 59.9% 81.6%
33. U. of Florida $28,658 -2.9% 21.2% 31.5%
34. Louisiana State U. at Baton Rouge $28,627 -0.9% 81.1% 58.0%
35. U. at Buffalo $27,769 -1.3% 93.2% 52.1%
36. U. of Kansas $27,358 -0.1% 26.3% 56.6%
37. U. of Oklahoma at Norman $27,144 -2.1% 36.1% 65.3%
38. U. of Missouri at Columbia $26,949 -1.2% 20.3% 65.7%
39. U. of Idaho $25,500 4.0% 51.3% -24.9%
40. U. of Arkansas at Fayetteville $25,168 0.6% 43.8% 184.4%
41. U. of Montana at Missoula $24,959 -2.5% 32.6% -5.6%
42. West Virginia U. $24,950 2.6% 38.1% 14.0%
43. U. of Nebraska at Lincoln $24,949 0.1% 26.6% 81.4%
44. U. of Mississippi $24,614 1.5% 72.3% 92.4%
45. U. of Alaska at Fairbanks $24,257 2.9% 48.6% -8.9%
46. U. of New Mexico $22,586 -0.4% 25.5% 98.2%
47. U. of Nevada at Reno $22,236 -0.6% 24.0% 137.5%
48. U. of North Dakota $20,759 -0.8% 18.2% 16.8%
49. U. of Wyoming $17,490 1.0% 38.4% 15.9%
50. U. of South Dakota $12,425 0.4% 51.7% 36.9%
Median for 50 flagships $30,916 0.0% 34.7% 51.9%

Note: Data for published tuition and fees were calculated and compiled by the College Board. Figures do not reflect the lowered cost of attendance for some students after grants and other student aid are considered. In-state tuition and fees are based on 30 semester hours and are weighted by full-time undergraduate enrollment. Out-of-state tuition was calculated by adding the nonresident premium, weighted by full-time out-of-state enrollment, to average in-state tuition and fees. Prices for 2008-9 are weighted by same-year full-time enrollments.

The one-year change in tuition and fees covers 2017-18 to 2018-19. The 10-year change covers 2008-9 to 2018-19. Prices for 2017-18 and 2018-19 are weighted by fall 2016 full-time undergraduate enrollments. Tuition and fees for 2008-9 and 2017-18 were adjusted to 2018 dollars before one-year and 10-year percentage changes were calculated. To adjust for inflation, the College Board relied on the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers in July of the year in which the academic year begins. The prices for 2017-18 that the College Board used in this analysis differ slightly from the 2017-18 averages it reported last year because of revised price data and updated enrollment weighting.

The College Board defines “flagship institutions” as generally being the best-known public universities in the state, the first to be established, and the largest and most selective, as well as the most research-intensive. It identified only one such institution for each state. More College Board data on college pricing can be found here.

Percentage changes in the number of in-state and out-of-state students are based on all first-time undergraduate degree- or certificate-seeking students, and are measured from the fall of 2006 to the fall of 2016, using figures from the U.S. Department of Education. First-time students whose state or residency was unknown were excluded from those calculations. Questions or comments on the Chronicle List should be sent to Ruth Hammond.

Source: “Annual Survey of Colleges: Trends in College Pricing 2018,” © 2018, the College Board, for tuition data; Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data for enrollment data</small></p>

A version of this article appeared in the November 2, 2018, issue.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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