This post was updated on January 31, 2022. It was originally published on August 14, 2019.
In-State College Is Not Always Cheaper
When I was in high school growing up in Vienna, Virginia, my parents told me “Tim, you can go to any school that you want……but it has to be in Virginia.”
So, I did! The oldest of four, I proudly attended the University of Virginia, hoping to pave the way for my younger siblings. My younger sister and stepbrother naturally went to Virginia Tech, staying in-state and securing the sibling rivalry. The youngest, my stepsister, was a real rebel—she went out-of-state to Georgia Tech.
Want to guess who paid the least amount for college among the four of us?
Yep. The youngest was awarded a 100% full-ride merit scholarship, even though she did not qualify for any need-based financial aid.
She also got accepted to Stanford, Brown, NYU, UVA, and a number of other great schools, but none of them offered her a dime of aid.
Why? Because they didn’t have to! When she said “no” to Stanford, there was another very bright student behind her that readily paid the full $75,000 per year, or about $300,000 over four years, to get that prestigious Cardinal diploma.
On the other hand, Georgia Tech knew that my stepsister would not have attended there unless heavily incentivized to do so.
She ended up graduating near the top of her class with an engineering degree and was hired right out of college to work for Deloitte. This was probably the same job she would’ve been offered if she graduated from Stanford or UVA.
So, what is really better? Graduating Stanford with $300,000 of debt, UVA with about $140,000 in loans, or GA Tech with $0 debt?
Of course, not every student has the grades and test scores to get this type of generous, merit-based offer, but many students can still obtain partial scholarships.
Good Student? Several Out-of-State Schools Will Give You Large Scholarships
Most parents do not realize that out-of-state schools, primarily toward the middle of the country, are willing to spend significant money from their endowments to attract smart students from the East and West coasts. Schools like the University of Alabama get a ton of applicants from Alabama and the surrounding states but want greater diversity among the student population. They want studious kids from CA, NY, VA, MA, etc. to improve their average test scores and academic culture.
These big state schools often have money from successful sports programs and use it to attract the best and brightest, providing generous merit aid offers.
As an example, a student with a 32-36 ACT or 1420-1600 SAT score, and at least a 3.5 GPA, may qualify to be a Presidental Scholar at the University of Alabama and could receive $28,000 per year in scholarship money.
Right now, out-of-state tuition at Bama comes in at $30,250, so you would only have to pay $2,250 per year for tuition. You would also need to cover room and board which runs $13,934. There are other miscellaneous costs as well, but if your student has good ACT or SAT scores and above a 3.5 GPA, Alabama’s cost could be similar to or less expensive than that of an in-state school.
In-State College May Not Be as Cheap as You Think
There is a classic supply and demand issue here. Schools in states like Virginia and California are getting flooded with applications. As a result, schools in states like VA and CA, which have excellent university systems, do not have to offer a dime of merit scholarships to attract the best and brightest— families will happily pay the full in-state price.
What parents may not realize is that the full in-state price for college has dramatically increased for some schools. My alma mater, The University of Virginia, comes in at about $35,000 per year right now. Another popular four-year college, William and Mary, could run you as much as $160,000 ($40,000 x 4 years, not counting financial aid). This is in-state!
The point is, if you have a smart student, do not think in-state is necessarily the best option from a financial perspective.
How to Determine If You Should Apply to Out-Of-State Schools
Here is a good rule of thumb: if your kid has over a 30 ACT and/or 1300 SAT and above a 3.5 GPA, there is a good chance he or she can qualify for merit scholarships, even if your family has a high income and assets. These merit scholarships are often listed right on the college website. You can also contact the admissions office for more information.
Contrary to popular opinion, it is more important than ever to consider out-of-state schools. It is not just about going to the highest-ranked school you get accepted to; it is about finding the best overall deal given how expensive undergrad has become.
Here is a non-exhaustive list of brand-name schools that offer fairly generous financial aid packages to out-of-state students. You may also have some luck researching merit scholarships at non-flagship state universities!
University of Alabama |
Mississippi State |
Ole Miss |
University of Vermont |
University of Arkansas |
University of Oklahoma |
University of Missouri |
Louisiana State University |
Colorado School of Mines |
Michigan Technological University |
Thank you for reading this and please share this important information with other parents in your close circle!
Which schools are the best financial fit for you?
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