Ranked

891 uS universities with the lowest tuition

Published in-state tuition, lowest first. The sticker price is not what most families pay — the net price by income sits on each university page.

#UniversityIn-stateCost of attendance BorrowPaying downSATAcceptance
161 McNeese State University Lake Charles, Louisiana $8,489 $22,810 32% 62% 1087 78%
162 Mississippi University for Women Columbus, Mississippi $8,492 $22,225 41% 57% 1090 90%
163 Charter Oak State College New Britain, Connecticut $8,506 $23,210 45% 52% — —
164 Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota $8,514 $20,468 30% 70% 1041 99%
165 University of Arkansas Grantham LIttle Rock, Arkansas $8,520 $15,318 73% 21% — —
166 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Oshkosh, Wisconsin $8,532 $19,652 24% 71% 1090 87%
167 University of Montana Missoula, Montana $8,552 $23,570 41% 58% 1190 96%
168 State University of New York at New Paltz New Paltz, New York $8,572 $28,428 42% 71% 1265 62%
169 Midwives College of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah $8,583 $45,179 62% — — 86%
170 Eastern Washington University Cheney, Washington $8,586 $24,478 35% 63% — 91%
171 SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, New York $8,589 $29,786 39% 80% 1214 72%
172 Delta State University Cleveland, Mississippi $8,605 $22,445 44% 52% 1050 100%
173 Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho $8,610 $21,527 23% 48% — —
174 Tennessee State University Nashville, Tennessee $8,616 $25,637 46% 31% 1000 70%
175 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, Wisconsin $8,616 $18,719 46% 70% 1050 86%
176 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, California $8,624 $24,648 27% 69% — 93%
177 Texas Woman's University Denton, Texas $8,640 $22,234 38% 55% — 96%
178 Peru State College Peru, Nebraska $8,640 $22,240 44% 55% — —
179 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, Wisconsin $8,644 $21,266 42% 78% 1190 89%
180 Western Governors University Salt Lake City, Utah $8,658 $16,728 43% 54% — —
181 Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia $8,664 $28,241 40% 44% 1076 55%
182 Arkansas Tech University Russellville, Arkansas $8,674 $22,808 26% 56% 1049 96%
183 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, Indiana $8,675 $15,571 25% 42% 1024 72%
184 University of Nebraska Kearney Kearney, Nebraska $8,676 $25,808 35% 70% 1118 89%
185 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Green Bay, Wisconsin $8,700 $19,366 27% 68% 1120 89%
186 Minot State University Minot, North Dakota $8,702 $19,339 37% 71% 1051 65%
187 Fairmont State University Fairmont, West Virginia $8,708 $20,018 39% 45% 996 99%
188 University of Nebraska, Omaha Omaha, Nebraska $8,718 $21,120 26% 63% 1120 87%
189 San Diego State University San Diego, California $8,728 $27,780 23% 66% — 36%
190 University of Alaska - Fairbanks Fairbanks, Alaska $8,736 $22,407 17% 55% — —
191 Black Hills State University Spearfish, South Dakota $8,764 $21,277 28% 62% 1087 96%
192 University of Wisconsin - Superior Superior, Wisconsin $8,812 $19,860 43% 58% 1090 93%
193 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, Oklahoma $8,818 $26,392 33% 55% 1090 78%
194 State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, New York $8,825 $27,052 52% 68% 1187 81%
195 Northern State University Aberdeen, South Dakota $8,845 $22,077 22% 65% 1089 93%
196 Lamar University Beaumont, Texas $8,905 $22,254 42% 44% 1061 86%
197 Jackson State University Jackson, Mississippi $8,965 $32,415 82% 39% 965 93%
198 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North Carolina $8,994 $26,055 13% 81% 1439 15%
199 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, Oklahoma $9,000 $20,662 37% 60% 1152 66%
200 Colorado State University - Global Campus Denver, Colorado $9,000 $21,201 34% 54% — 98%

Questions

Cheapest tuition in the US: which university leads?
McNeese State University — $8,489 in-state tuition.
Where does this data come from?
The US Department of Education College Scorecard, which publishes what institutions charge, what students borrow and repay, and the test scores of admitted students. Nothing here is estimated — universities without a published figure are left out of the ranking.
Is the cheapest university the best value?
Not necessarily. Price is one half of value; the other is what graduates earn and whether they clear the debt. Each university page links to its earnings and repayment record.
All university data Most expensive Best loan repayment Fewest borrowers Highest SAT Highest acceptance

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Universities without a published figure for the ranked measure are not listed.