The 10 most expensive public universities for students from out of state
Many Americans assume that public universities are their cheapest option , but that is not always the case.
According to the College Board, the average cost to attend a private university for one year in the U.S. is $43,870. On average, it costs $34,220 for an out-of-state student to attend a public university, but some public institutions charge out-of-state students just as much — or more —than private colleges do.
U.S. News & World Report found that some of the most prestigious public universities charge non-residents over $40,000 a year to attend.
The University of Virginia (UVA), for example, charges students who are not from Virginia $45,066 in tuition and fees to study for one year. Students from Virginia, on the other hand, pay just $15,722 a year. That means that out-of-state-students are paying 187 more percent than Virginians are.
For the undergraduate class of 2019, 70 percent of UVA students come from Virginia. Graduate students, however, are far more likely to hail from another state. Only 20.7 percent of graduate students are Virginia residents. This means that a majority of graduate students are paying a big price for their chance to study at UVA.
Six of the top 10 most expensive schools are part of the University of California system. University of California, San Diego, the most expensive public university from California, charges nonresidents $41,387 a year. In-state tuition for the UC San Diego, however, is just $13,573.
The massive difference in out-of-state and in-state tuition at public universities is because of their funding model. Since public universities are subsidized by state governments, they charge nonresident students high rates in order to keep costs low for state residents. Private colleges do not receive state funding and thus charge students the same rate regardless of what state they are from.
Both public and private universities offer financial aid which can help counter some of these high costs . At the University of Virginia, for instance, 53 percent of undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid.
Missing from U.S. News & World Report's list is The University of Michigan. For the 2017-2018 year, out-of-state freshmen and sophomores will pay $47,476 in tuition and juniors and seniors will pay $50,808.
Check out the full list of the 10 most expensive public universities in the country:
10. University of California, Berkeley
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,191
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $13,509
9. University of California, Santa Cruz
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,241
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $13,559
8. University of California, Riverside
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,263
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $13,581
7. University of Vermont
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,364
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $17,300
6. University of California, Santa Barbara
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,704
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $14,022
5. University of California, Davis
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $40,728
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $14,046
4. University of California, San Diego
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $41,387
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $14,705
3. College of William and Mary
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $41,718
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $18,687
2. Virginia Military Institute
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $41,801
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $17,492
1. University of Virginia
2016-2017 out-of-state tuition and fees: $45,066
2016-2017 in-state tuition and fees: $15,722
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