My father and older brother are diehard Seminoles — FSU grads — and I’d spent childhood trips to campus every year. Had I opted for, say, the University of Florida (the sworn rival of any Seminole), I might have been permanently ostracized from family gatherings.
Well, I went to FSU. I even took a victory lap (an extra two semesters) so I could soak up the campus for another year. But here’s the key question from a now-Savinly writer’s perspective: Did I get the most value for my tuition at the Tallahassee campus?
Personally, I feel like I did. But my situation was unique — I attended largely on scholarship money and flipped sushi at a Japanese restaurant to cover the rest. So thankfully, I don’t wrestle with a portion of the $1.4 trillion in student loan debt burdening many Americans.
By now, student loans — and the debt that follows — are commonplace. So I wanted to know: Which colleges stretch your tuition dollars the farthest? Specifically, where can you enroll and have the strongest chance of living comfortably while repaying student debt after graduation?
Fortunately, there’s data to answer that. (See the methodology below.)
We examined annual tuition, average net cost, enrollment, acceptance rates and other indicators for every college with available statistics to calculate a “bang-for-your-buck ratio.” A higher ratio means your tuition buys more.
We also singled out the best-value four-year university and the top bang-for-your-buck trade school or community college for each state, since both pathways are solid alternatives and many regions face shortages in skilled infrastructure workers.
Keep in mind, many variables — from major choice to the metropolitan area where graduates find work — affect income. Do thorough research on what fits your goals before applying to any institution on this list.
And do as many cost-saving things as possible while you’re in college.
As you’ll notice when you jump to Florida, I didn’t pick the college with the absolute best value for the state. But hey, at least I still get to sit at the Thanksgiving table with my family.
Methodology
College Scorecard, the federal college comparison resource, provides figures from tuition to loan default rates by demographics — a great starting point to figure out where tuition goes the furthest.
We parsed hundreds of megabytes of data and applied a statistical weighting to the following variables:
- Enrollment.
- Acceptance rate.
- Average net cost (total cost of attendance, including tuition, books and housing, minus scholarships and grants).
- In-state tuition.
- Median earnings 10 years after graduation.
- Student loan default rate.
To find your state, use a link from the table below.
Alabama
I know diehard “Roll-Tiders” will likely roast me for this, but the University of Alabama doesn’t shine as the best value. Luckily for Alabamians whose families won’t exile them for not attending ’Bama, the state has many affordable, high-value options.
Alabama’s ratio of cost-to-earnings is roughly nine percentage points lower than the U.S. median, and the median net price of universities is more than $3,200 below the national median. So if you live in Alabama, stay in-state — but consider schools beyond the University of Alabama.
Enrollment: 16,208
Admission Rate: 68.2%
In-State Tuition: $7,275
Average Net Cost: $11,192 (Includes books, housing, etc., less scholarships and other aid)
Median Earnings: $36,660
George C. Wallace State Community College-Dothan
Enrollment: 4,293
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,900
Average Net Cost: $2,681
Median Earnings: $27,100
Alaska
There’s not much variety in Alaska’s higher education scene — only ten institutions. But among them, the median bang-for-your-buck ratio is the best nationwide, and half of Alaskan grads earn more than $40,000 a decade after finishing school.
That’s the second highest among all states.
University of Alaska Anchorage
Enrollment: 13,116
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $5,147
Average Net Cost: $8,160
Median Earnings: $42,000
Arizona
For a populous state with 125 colleges, I expected fierce competition to keep costs down and returns high. Yet Arizona’s bang-for-your-buck ratio sits about 15 points below the national figure.
Still, the leading community or trade school in the state offers exceptional value for students.
Enrollment: 38,480
Admission Rate: 80.23%
In-State Tuition: $9,861
Average Net Cost: $11,480
Median Earnings: $45,200
Enrollment: 26,600
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $1,724
Average Net Cost: $2,759
Median Earnings: $30,100
Arkansas
Arkansas boasts solid trade schools, and overall the state’s college value exceeds the U.S. average — despite graduates making slightly less than peers elsewhere.
If you love the Ozarks, consider pursuing higher education in this southern state.
Enrollment: 8,734
Admission Rate: 85%
In-State Tuition: $5,598
Average Net Cost: $9,128
Median Earnings: $35,000
Northwest Arkansas Community College
Enrollment: 6,698
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,998
Average Net Cost: $6,846
Median Earnings: $32,300
California
California is the first state showing a pattern you’ll see again: the best values often come from branch campuses of large universities, typically because living or commuting costs are lower there.
Despite many such campuses, California scores poorly on value in our metrics. But it’s California — the weather and beaches are often worth the premium.
California State University, Los Angeles
Enrollment: 17,042
Admission Rate: 67.5%
In-State Tuition: $6,344
Average Net Cost: $44,900
Median Earnings: $32,300
Enrollment: 17,042
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $1,387
Average Net Cost: $2,288
Median Earnings: $32,300
Colorado
Colorado is stunning, and its universities deliver roughly the same tuition-to-earnings value as the national average. However, it features one of the largest gaps between in-state and out-of-state tuition.
So unless you already live here, consider staying in your home state — unless that state is Arizona.
Enrollment: 10,470
Admission Rate: 75.9%
In-State Tuition: $7,933
Average Net Cost: $13,594
Median Earnings: $73,800
Enrollment: 8,920
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,063
Average Net Cost: $8,792
Median Earnings: $35,200
Connecticut
For a Northeastern state with a lot of inherited wealth, I expected Connecticut’s costs to outweigh graduate payoffs. But with median earnings 10 years out near $36,000 and average net prices around $15,700, the state sits about at the national average for tuition value.
University of Connecticut-Tri-Campus
Enrollment: 2,382
Admission Rate: 42%
In-State Tuition: $10,056
Average Net Cost: $13,099
Median Earnings: $53,900
Enrollment: 6,773
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,786
Average Net Cost: $4,319
Median Earnings: $35,200
Delaware
Only a dozen universities in Delaware provide public data on earnings and tuition, so our sample is small. Nevertheless, the state shows slightly better college value than the national average.
I was also pleasantly surprised to find strong trade schools in this state, despite its reputation for a sizable financial sector.
Enrollment: 17,729
Admission Rate: 64.7%
In-State Tuition: $12,112
Average Net Cost: $15,998
Median Earnings: $54,300
Delaware Technical Community College
Enrollment: 6,492
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,380
Average Net Cost: $4,963
Median Earnings: $33,500
Florida
If you visit Florida, most people you see will wear one of three color combos: garnet and gold, blue and orange, or green and orange — the hues of Florida State University, the University of Florida and the University of Miami, respectively.
But several lesser-known campuses are making strides academically and athletically. The University of Central Florida is the largest in the state, and the University of South Florida is increasingly recognized. Yet the institution likely to deliver the best bang for your buck wears the most Floridian mascot: the gator.
(That’s not to say much — Florida has the fifth-lowest bang-for-your-buck ratio in the nation.)
Enrollment: 32,346
Admission Rate: 46.6%
In-State Tuition: $6,263
Average Net Cost: $12,582
Median Earnings: $51,300
Enrollment: 26,106
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,378
Average Net Cost: $2,557
Median Earnings: $31,500
Georgia
Georgia’s bang-for-your-buck ratio, tuition levels and graduate earnings hover near the national averages. It also has a strong presence of trade schools that add tangible value.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Enrollment: 13,975
Admission Rate: 54.9%
In-State Tuition: $10,650
Average Net Cost: $11,053
Median Earnings: $74,000
Enrollment: 5,324
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,720
Average Net Cost: $5,993
Median Earnings: $34,100
Hawaii
This was a surprise: Hawaii can be an affordable place to attend college. After accounting for housing, books and scholarships, the median annual net cost at universities in the state is about $11,200 — more than $4,000 below the U.S. median.
It’s paradise — though postage for parental care packages across the Pacific will sting a bit.
Enrollment: 14,097
Admission Rate: 80.1%
In-State Tuition: $29,904
Average Net Cost: $11,102
Median Earnings: $33,300
Enrollment: 6,025
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,604
Average Net Cost: $4,388
Median Earnings: $33,300
Idaho
Idaho offers some university options with value, but overall it doesn’t match the bang-for-your-buck you’ll find in many other states. The median ratio here is about 37%, versus 51% nationwide.
Still, Idaho schools have average acceptance rates about 20 points higher than the national average, giving more opportunity to students who underperformed in high school.
Since no trade school met our threshold, we’re listing only one recommendation.
Brigham Young University – Idaho
Enrollment: 20,208
Admission Rate: 99.6%
In-State Tuition: $3,850
Average Net Cost: $7,409
Median Earnings: $39,000
Illinois
Illinois colleges largely mirror national averages for graduate payoff. But if you want a less costly or hands-on route, trade and two-year institutions outnumber traditional four-year colleges by nearly three-to-one.
University of Illinois at Chicago
Enrollment: 16,601
Admission Rate: 71.4%
In-State Tuition: $13,410
Average Net Cost: $13,656
Median Earnings: $51,600
Enrollment: 9,184
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,452
Average Net Cost: $4,657
Median Earnings: $31,300
Indiana
For a Midwestern state, I was surprised to find Indiana relatively pricey for college. The median net price, including housing and books, is over $18,700 a year — about $3,200 more than the national median.
Still, median earnings of $33,200 for Indiana grads are slightly above the U.S. average, and the state has many affordable trade schools and community colleges.
Enrollment: 30,167
Admission Rate: 60.4%
In-State Tuition: $9,992
Average Net Cost: $15,543
Median Earnings: $52,600
Enrollment: 87,017
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,605
Average Net Cost: $8,911
Median Earnings: $28,400
Iowa
Cue the “Music Man.” (Actually, don’t — you’ll have the tune stuck in your head.) Iowa’s acceptance rate and bang-for-your-buck are roughly in line with national averages.
If you already live in the Hawkeye State, staying for college might make good sense.
Enrollment: 21,314
Admission Rate: 80.2%
In-State Tuition: $7,726
Average Net Cost: $14,336
Median Earnings: $47,200
Iowa Central Community College
Enrollment: 3,494
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $4,520
Average Net Cost: $7,465
Median Earnings: $32,700
Kansas
Kansas colleges generally give better value than the national average: graduates earn more a decade after school and acceptance rates are higher. But Kansas also has one of the lower out-of-state tuition premiums.
If you want to escape home without crossing a Pacific, Kansas still offers solid value.
Enrollment: 5,320
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $5,774
Average Net Cost: $11,215
Median Earnings: $37,900
Enrollment: 1,777
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,610
Average Net Cost: $5,007
Median Earnings: $33,200
Kentucky
Kentucky had one outlier that skewed our results: Berea College.
Berea’s bang-for-your-buck is enormous — average net cost around $1,776 per year and median earnings north of $34,000. It’s one of the few colleges with a “no-tuition pledge”: accepted students pay nothing. But with a 34% acceptance rate and fewer than 2,000 students, we excluded it from the statewide summary.
Without Berea, Kentucky ranks as having relatively low tuition value.
Enrollment: 11,976
Admission Rate: 46.7%
In-State Tuition: $8,376
Average Net Cost: $8,753
Median Earnings: $36,100
Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College
Enrollment: 3,122
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,456
Average Net Cost: $6,327
Median Earnings: $29,200
Louisiana
Louisiana is another state where branch campuses of major universities top the value list. As a former Florida State student (once named the No. 1 party school), I can tell you the main-campus “true college experience” often isn’t worth the extra cost.
Sorry, Baton Rouge — I’d take Shreveport over the frat scene.
Louisiana State University-Shreveport
Enrollment: 2,796
Admission Rate: 83.5%
In-State Tuition: $5,606
Average Net Cost: $7,436
Median Earnings: $36,700
Enrollment: 17,467
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,302
Average Net Cost: $6,592
Median Earnings: $28,200
Maine
Maine is an expensive place to live, which drives up a student’s net cost. Even with private colleges offering substantial scholarships that reduce sticker prices, the median gap between published cost and what students actually pay is about $3,689 annually.
Enrollment: 8,619
Admission Rate: 81%
In-State Tuition: $10,600
Average Net Cost: $16,831
Median Earnings: $38,700
Central Maine Community College
Enrollment: 2,531
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,630
Average Net Cost: $8,612
Median Earnings: $33,300
Maryland
Graduates from Maryland tend to earn significantly more than the national average 10 years after school — around $38,000 versus $31,000 nationwide.
But with net costs above $16,000 annually, the state’s bang-for-your-buck is middling. Those crabs, though.
University of Maryland University College
Enrollment: 26,006
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $6,552
Average Net Cost: $9,358
Median Earnings: $50,700
Enrollment: 3,583
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,302
Average Net Cost: $4,157
Median Earnings: $35,800
Massachusetts
Despite Harvard and MIT, Massachusetts doesn’t offer great value overall. It has the eighth-lowest bang-for-your-buck ratio and the third-highest annual tuition costs.
If picking up a Boston accent is your goal, it might still be worth it.
University of Massachusetts Boston
Enrollment: 11,786
Admission Rate: 71.4%
In-State Tuition: $11,966
Average Net Cost: $11,741
Median Earnings: $45,800
Enrollment: 8,871
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $4,274
Average Net Cost: $4,047
Median Earnings: $35,800
Michigan
Michigan colleges tend to land near the middle on most measures. There’s nothing wrong with being average — my mom always used to say that!
The best values often come from satellite campuses here, and the state has numerous trade and community colleges to choose from.
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Enrollment: 6,793
Admission Rate: 62.8%
In-State Tuition: $10,614
Average Net Cost: $9,800
Median Earnings: $47,400
Enrollment: 9,535
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,140
Average Net Cost: $4,310
Median Earnings: $31,000
Minnesota
Community and technical colleges top the lists of best-value institutions in many states, Minnesota included.
One nontraditional option that stood out was Metropolitan State University, which initially ranked highest for value. It caters to older, working students with night classes — ideal for career changers — but we focused on traditional bachelor’s programs for this roundup.
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Enrollment: 12,542
Admission Rate: 65.6%
In-State Tuition: $7,557
Average Net Cost: $14,161
Median Earnings: $42,700
Enrollment: 9,484
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $5,360
Average Net Cost: $9,601
Median Earnings: $35,000
Mississippi
More than two-thirds of Mississippi’s institutions are certificate or associate programs, giving many low-cost community college options. But if you want a four-year degree, choices are more limited.
On our initial ranking, the top three four-year schools included a women’s college and two private institutions.
Enrollment: 16,432
Admission Rate: 59.4%
In-State Tuition: $6,760
Average Net Cost: $13,858
Median Earnings: $40,600
Enrollment: 5,170
Admission Rate: 85.7%
In-State Tuition: $2,630
Average Net Cost: $573
Median Earnings: $38,100
Missouri
Missouri grads typically earn less than the national average while paying about $4,000 more for education, placing the state among the lower tiers for value.
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Enrollment: 6,064
Admission Rate: 82.2%
In-State Tuition: $9,510
Average Net Cost: $15,153
Median Earnings: $65,500
Enrollment: 6,744
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,400
Average Net Cost: $3,454
Median Earnings: $32,000
Montana
Montana doesn’t have a sprawling university system — there might be more bison than students here.
If you live in Big Sky Country, there’s at least one solid in-state option to maximize your tuition value.
No university met our full criteria for a second pick, so we’re listing a single recommendation.
Montana Tech of the University of Montana (Now Montana Technological University)
Enrollment: 1,825
Admission Rate: 88.9%
In-State Tuition: $6,464
Average Net Cost: $11,619
Median Earnings: $39,800
Nebraska
Nothing against Nebraska (my sister-in-law’s family is from Lincoln), but it’s hard to pull out striking statistics. Nebraska sits squarely in the middle for bang-for-your-buck and average net price.
However, the state’s acceptance rate is on the lower half, so be careful with application timing.
Enrollment: 12,153
Admission Rate: 70.8%
In-State Tuition: $6,550
Average Net Cost: $12,532
Median Earnings: $41,800
Enrollment: 7,512
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,554
Average Net Cost: $7,555
Median Earnings: $35,200
Nevada
Nevada is great for gambling and the outdoors, but not for tuition value — it ranks fourth-lowest in bang-for-your-buck. On the plus side, it has the highest average acceptance rate in the U.S.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Enrollment: 22,742
Admission Rate: 85.1%
In-State Tuition: $6,690
Average Net Cost: $11,159
Median Earnings: $43,500
Enrollment: 29,848
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $2,700
Average Net Cost: $6,932
Median Earnings: $31,900
New Hampshire
New Hampshire has one of the highest average cost-to-earnings ratios, making it one of the worst states for bang-for-your-buck. If you must study in-state, your options outside Dartmouth are limited.
Enrollment: 1,680
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $7,065
Average Net Cost: $14,515
Median Earnings: $32,100
Enrollment: 2,026
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $7,232
Average Net Cost: $14,204
Median Earnings: $34,500
New Jersey
I’ve got a soft spot for New Jersey; my mom’s family is from Cape May, and I nearly attended Rutgers thanks to an offer from my great uncle to let me stay rent-free. I’m slightly relieved I didn’t — the state ranks in the bottom 10 for tuition value.
Enrollment: 6,748
Admission Rate: 54%
In-State Tuition: $12,998
Average Net Cost: $12,762
Median Earnings: $54,800
Enrollment: 11,150
Admission Rate: N/A
In-State Tuition: $3,380
Average Net Cost: $4,065
Median Earnings: $31,000
New Mexico
New Mexico ranks No. 8 for highest average bang-for-your-buck ratio. So attending school here is unlikely to be a bad investment — and there are solid technical and trade programs as well.
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