Biggest Out-of-State Tuition Penalty
Public universities where crossing a state line costs the most. The gap between published out-of-state and in-state tuition.
Ranked by out-of-state tuition premium · 685 of 2,406 institutions report this measure · Compiled 2026-09-01
Chase these schools
Top schools on this list that also show up elsewhere — hop lists without leaving the trail.
#4
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
- 1University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI · Public$40,844Compare nearby
- 2University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, VA · Public$37,028Compare nearby
- 3The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX · Public$31,100Compare nearby
- 4University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 5University of California-DavisDavis, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 6University of California-IrvineIrvine, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 7University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 8University of California-RiversideRiverside, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 9University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 10University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 11University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 12University of California-MercedMerced, CA · Public$30,777Compare nearby
- 13Virginia Military InstituteLexington, VA · Public$30,702Compare nearby
- 14University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · Public$30,341Compare nearby
- 15University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · Public$29,398Compare nearby
- 16University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, WA · Public$29,354Compare nearby
- 17University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, MD · Public$28,801Compare nearby
- 18Indiana University-BloomingtonBloomington, IN · Public$28,692Compare nearby
- 19University of OregonEugene, OR · Public$27,633Compare nearby
- 20University of ArizonaTucson, AZ · Public$27,469Compare nearby
- 21Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI · Public$27,384Compare nearby
- 22Texas A & M University-College StationCollege Station, TX · Public$27,229Compare nearby
- 23Massachusetts College of Art and DesignBoston, MA · Public$27,220Compare nearby
- 24George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA · Public$25,582Compare nearby
- 25University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO · Public$25,513Compare nearby
How this list was built
- Measure
- Out-of-state tuition premium — sorted highest to lowest
- Source variable
TUITIONFEE_OUT − TUITIONFEE_IN- Dataset
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (05-19-2025 release)
- Four-year, main-campus institutions awarding bachelor's degrees or higher (2,406 schools).
- Public four-year institutions reporting both tuition rates.
- Institutions enrolling fewer than 500 undergraduates are excluded so that small-cohort medians do not distort the ranking.
- 685 of 2,406 institutions report this measure; the rest are omitted rather than estimated.
A single measure is a narrow way to judge a college. Read this alongside the others, and see the methodology for what these figures do and do not capture.
Keep exploring
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- Showdown: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor vs University of Virginia-Main CampusHigher-or-lower on Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Live leaderboardReshuffle Top 10–50 on one Scorecard measure
- Explore games & mapsShowdown, Name That College, sports, and more lists
- Sports at University of Michigan-Ann ArborEADA programs for the #1 school on this list
Keep going
Cheapest In-State Tuition at Public Universities
Published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions, before aid.
Cheapest Out-of-State Tuition at Public Universities
Published out-of-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions, before aid.
Highest Average Net Price
What students actually pay after grant aid, averaged across aided undergraduates — not the sticker price. The other end of the affordability list.