Average Undergraduate Charge at Public 4-Year Institutions (Dollars)

The average annual charge for an in-state resident undergraduate student to attend a public 4-year academic institution is one indicator of how accessible higher education is to a state's students. The annual charge includes standard in-state charges for tuition, required fees, room, and board for a full-time undergraduate student who is a resident of that state. These charges were weighted by the number of full-time undergraduates attending each public institution within the state. The total charge for all public 4-year institutions in the state was divided by the total number of full-time undergraduates attending all public 4-year institutions in the state. The year is the end date of the academic year. For example, data for 2016 represent costs for the 2015–16 academic year.

Average undergraduate charge is collected from institutions by the National Center for Education Statistics in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Undergraduate charges have increased significantly in all states, even in inflation-adjusted terms. To improve educational attainment, the federal government, state governments, and academic institutions provide various kinds of financial aid that reduce the cost to students. The data in this indicator do not include any adjustments for such financial aid.

Data source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics.