If you are looking at a public university outside your home state, the price on the website is not the price you would pay. Public colleges charge a lower "resident" rate to students who live in the state and a higher "nonresident" rate to everyone else. The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education explains that the resident rate is lower "because the state government subsidizes tuition for its residents" (WICHE: Western Undergraduate Exchange).
How big is the difference? We checked every public, mostly bachelor's-degree college in the latest federal College Scorecard data that reports both rates. That came to 569 schools, using 2024-25 tuition and fees from the release dated October 15, 2026 (College Scorecard data).
The short answer: about $11,400 more a year
At the typical (median) public college in the data:
- In-state tuition and fees: $10,320
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: $21,658
- Typical gap: $11,441 a year, so out-of-state students pay about 2.1 times as much
The gap varies a lot. At a quarter of these schools it is under $7,704, and at another quarter it is over $16,818. At 336 of the 569 colleges (59%), out-of-state students pay at least double. At 77, they pay at least triple. Only 48 charge the same rate to everyone.
These figures cover tuition and fees only. Housing, food, books and travel come on top. For the full cost of a year, see each school's cost of attendance on our cost pages.
Where the out-of-state premium is biggest
The largest gaps are at flagship universities that draw students from across the country. These are 2024-25 tuition and fees from College Scorecard:
| University | In-state | Out-of-state | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $18,346 | $63,962 | $45,616 |
| University of Virginia | $22,431 | $61,457 | $39,026 |
| UC Berkeley | $17,198 | $54,800 | $37,602 |
| UNC Chapel Hill | $9,095 | $45,228 | $36,133 |
| UT Austin | $11,656 | $44,816 | $33,160 |
| University of Florida | $6,381 | $30,886 | $24,505 |
At 2024-25 rates, the Michigan gap adds up to more than $180,000 over four years, before any aid. UNC Chapel Hill and Florida charge out-of-state students about five times the in-state rate. Every University of California campus in the data has the same $37,602 gap, so at UC the extra charge for nonresidents is the same whichever campus you choose.
Private colleges don't have this gap
Residency rules are mostly a public-college issue. Of the 1,141 private nonprofit colleges in the same Scorecard data, 1,140 report the same tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. Their sticker prices are higher, with a median of $35,930 in tuition and fees, but grants often bring that down. Our guide to net price vs sticker price shows how to compare what families actually pay.
Where out-of-state tuition stays low
Some public colleges keep the nonresident rate close to the resident rate. The clearest example is North Carolina's NC Promise plan. At Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, UNC Pembroke and Western Carolina, in-state tuition is $500 per semester. Nonresident students who started before 2026 pay $2,500 per semester, and those starting in 2026 or later pay $3,500 per semester (UNC System: NC Promise).
In the 2024-25 Scorecard data, which comes from before the 2026 increase, out-of-state tuition and fees were $7,611 at UNC Pembroke, $8,412 at Fayetteville State, $8,685 at Western Carolina and $10,625 at Elizabeth City State. That is less than half of the national median out-of-state rate. Expect the 2026-27 figures to be higher because of the new nonresident rate.
To find other low-cost options, sort by state on our cost by state pages.
Four regional programs that cut out-of-state tuition
If you live in certain states, you may not have to pay the full nonresident rate. Four regional compacts negotiate discounts at participating public colleges:
- Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE). Residents of 15 Western states and three U.S. territories pay "no more than 150% of the institution's resident tuition rate" at more than 170 participating public colleges. WICHE reports average savings of $12,517 a year. Each school sets its own WUE rules, which can include GPA minimums, excluded majors and limits on how many students get the rate (WICHE: WUE).
- Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP). Residents of Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin can get a discounted rate at more than 70 participating institutions. MHEC reports average savings of $7,000 a year (MHEC: MSEP).
- Academic Common Market (ACM). Students in 15 Southern Regional Education Board states can pay in-state tuition at an out-of-state public college for a degree that public colleges in their home state don't offer. More than 2,200 undergraduate and graduate programs are listed. You apply through your home state's ACM coordinator after you're admitted (SREB: Academic Common Market).
- New England Tuition Break. Residents of the six New England states get a discount at 66 participating public colleges in the region when they enroll in an approved program. NEBHE reports average savings of $8,500 for 2024-25 (NEBHE: Tuition Break).
In all four programs you usually have to ask for the rate, sometimes by an early deadline, so contact each school's admissions or aid office.
Can you become an in-state student?
Usually not just by moving for college. Each state sets its own residency rules, and they are strict. The University of California, for example, requires that you be "continually physically present in California for more than one year (366 days)" before the term starts and show intent to make California your home. It also warns that if you "moved to California primarily to attend the University of California," you may not qualify. Dependent students are judged on their parents' residence too (UC: Residency requirements).
International students: UC also requires the "legal ability to establish a permanent domicile in the United States," meaning citizenship, permanent residence or "a valid, qualifying nonimmigrant visa" (UC: Residency requirements). Plan your budget at the nonresident rate unless a school's residency office confirms in writing that you qualify. For public universities that give aid to international students, see our cheapest colleges for international students and international aid pages.
How to use these numbers
- Compare the out-of-state public price with private net prices, not with the public sticker price.
- Check whether you're eligible for WUE, MSEP, ACM or Tuition Break before you write off a school in a neighboring state.
- Look at cost per year and over four years. A $10,000 yearly gap is $40,000 by graduation.
- Confirm current rates on the school's website. Federal data runs about a year behind, and rates change. NC Promise's 2026 nonresident increase is one example.
Data: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution file released October 15, 2026 (in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees, 2024-25), for 569 currently operating public colleges that mostly grant bachelor's degrees and report both rates. Program details were checked on each official site on November 2, 2026.