2026 Cheapest College Costs Rankings
The tuition & fees are the costs for attending class at a college and it varies by academic programs. The tuition & fees may be charged per semester, per course, or per credit hour.
In general, public colleges such as University of Florida and UCLA have in-state and out-of-state tuition rate. Students living in state in which they attend school pay the in-state rate of tuition and the cost is cheaper than out-of-state rate. The out-of-state tuition is charted by colleges to students who do not meet the school or state's residency requirement. Some public schools also offer in-district rate of tuition and it is relatively cheaper than in-state rate as well as out-of-state rate. Private schools do not offer tuition for state residents and its tuition & fees are usually higher than public schools' tuition & fees.
University of the People has the cheapest tuition & fees ($1,200) and Ensign College has the second lowest tuition & fees ($4,004) based on academic year 2024-2025 college costs data.
Below table ranks and compares the Cheapest College Costs having lowest tuition & fees (based on undergraduate rate). For the ranking, we only include 4-year colleges that more than 3,000 students have enrolled in.
Cheapest College Costs
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1304 | University of the People Pasadena, CA | $1,200 | - | - | - | 41,961 | 34% | 28 to 1 |
| 1 | Ensign College Salt Lake City, UT | $4,004 | - | - | - | 7,594 | 43% | 26 to 1 |
| 2 | College of the Mainland Texas City, TX | $4,140 | - | - | - | 5,127 | 31% | 18 to 1 |
| 3 | Alvin Community College Alvin, TX | $4,402 | - | - | - | 5,872 | 24% | 19 to 1 |
| 4 | Central Arizona College Coolidge, AZ | $4,500 | - | - | - | 5,053 | 27% | 15 to 1 |
| 5 | Tyler Junior College Tyler, TX | $4,536 | - | - | - | 11,885 | 27% | 18 to 1 |
| 6 | Brazosport College Lake Jackson, TX | $4,711 | - | - | - | 3,812 | 56% | 20 to 1 |
| 7 | Brigham Young University-Idaho Rexburg, ID | $4,800 | - | 1,080 | 95.8% | 45,585 | 55% | 22 to 1 |
| 8 | Odessa College Odessa, TX | $4,926 | - | - | - | 9,981 | 37% | 24 to 1 |
| 9 | Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee, WA | $5,054 | - | - | - | 3,067 | 43% | 14 to 1 |
| 10 | Green River College Auburn, WA | $5,263 | - | - | - | 7,967 | 39% | 11 to 1 |
| 11 | University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR | $5,274 | $3,800 | - | 56.5% | 10,618 | 49% | 19 to 1 |
| 12 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras San Juan, PR | $5,324 | $4,110 | - | 54.6% | 11,312 | 50% | 11 to 1 |
| 13 | Highline College Des Moines, WA | $5,332 | - | - | - | 5,592 | 35% | 13 to 1 |
| 14 | Houston City College Houston, TX | $5,460 | - | - | - | 53,253 | 17% | 23 to 1 |
| 15 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Aguadilla, PR | $5,742 | $4,851 | - | 41.8% | 3,161 | 43% | 26 to 1 |
| 16 | Laredo College Laredo, TX | $5,748 | - | - | - | 11,029 | 30% | 39 to 1 |
| 17 | Delaware Technical Community College-Terry Dover, DE | $5,763 | - | - | - | 13,337 | 22% | 13 to 1 |
| 18 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German San German, PR | $5,780 | $4,890 | - | 42.5% | 3,114 | 43% | 25 to 1 |
| 19 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro San Juan, PR | $5,780 | $4,890 | - | 69.7% | 4,101 | 39% | 18 to 1 |
| 20 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon, PR | $5,780 | $4,890 | - | 39.6% | 3,556 | 35% | 30 to 1 |
| 21 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA | $5,796 | - | - | - | 5,569 | 33% | 18 to 1 |
| 22 | South Seattle College Seattle, WA | $5,796 | - | - | - | 5,210 | 31% | 33 to 1 |
| 23 | Seattle Central College Seattle, WA | $5,796 | - | - | - | 5,396 | 32% | 17 to 1 |
| 24 | South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA | $5,818 | - | - | - | 4,871 | 44% | 17 to 1 |
| 25 | Yakima Valley College Yakima, WA | $5,873 | - | - | - | 3,809 | 29% | 15 to 1 |
| 26 | Trinity Valley Community College Athens, TX | $5,970 | - | - | - | 5,961 | 27% | 21 to 1 |
| 27 | Pierce College District Lakewood, WA | $5,976 | - | - | - | 8,137 | 31% | 13 to 1 |
| 28 | Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX | $6,050 | - | - | - | 10,256 | 11% | 12 to 1 |
| 29 | Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX | $6,064 | - | - | - | 39,548 | 20% | 21 to 1 |
| 30 | Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista, AZ | $6,120 | - | - | - | 3,905 | 30% | 15 to 1 |
| 31 | Midland College Midland, TX | $6,180 | - | - | - | 5,690 | 23% | 14 to 1 |
| 1293 | Columbia Southern University Orange Beach, AL | $6,224 | $3,936 | - | - | 17,763 | 33% | 37 to 1 |
| 32 | American College of Education Indianapolis, IN | $6,240 | $6,600 | - | - | 14,263 | - | 9 to 1 |
| 33 | Grayson College Denison, TX | $6,300 | - | - | - | 4,324 | 40% | 20 to 1 |
| 34 | Universidad del Sagrado Corazon Santurce, PR | $6,410 | $6,495 | - | 58.0% | 5,037 | 52% | 21 to 1 |
| 35 | Schoolcraft Community College District Livonia, MI | $6,501 | - | - | - | 8,587 | 18% | 27 to 1 |
| 36 | Navarro College Corsicana, TX | $6,578 | - | - | - | 6,557 | 23% | 21 to 1 |
| 37 | Spokane Community College Spokane, WA | $6,612 | - | - | - | 6,813 | 33% | 14 to 1 |
| 38 | Spokane Falls Community College Spokane, WA | $6,612 | - | - | - | 4,319 | 32% | 12 to 1 |
| 39 | Clover Park Technical College Lakewood, WA | $6,634 | - | - | - | 3,408 | 43% | 20 to 1 |
| 40 | Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Ponce, PR | $6,650 | $7,151 | 1,300 | 98.1% | 5,568 | 49% | 16 to 1 |
| 64 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT | $6,688 | $8,416 | 1,360 | 67.8% | 35,873 | 81% | 21 to 1 |
| 41 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX | $6,690 | - | - | - | 31,812 | 30% | 24 to 1 |
| 42 | College of Eastern Idaho Idaho Falls, ID | $6,750 | - | - | - | 3,013 | 39% | 14 to 1 |
| 43 | College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, ID | $6,840 | - | - | - | 10,176 | 33% | 25 to 1 |
| 44 | Aspen University Phoenix, AZ | $6,870 | $5,910 | - | - | 3,511 | 27% | 3 to 1 |
| 45 | Dallas College Dallas, TX | $6,900 | - | - | - | 69,749 | 32% | 22 to 1 |
| 46 | Saint Louis Community College Bridgeton, MO | $6,990 | - | - | - | 15,649 | 21% | 18 to 1 |
| 47 | Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO | $7,040 | - | - | - | 11,380 | 33% | 18 to 1 |
| 449 | Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Angola, IN | $7,176 | $10,350 | - | 39.9% | 9,868 | - | 13 to 1 |
| 48 | Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH | $7,249 | - | - | - | 17,840 | 31% | 13 to 1 |
| 486 | Louisiana State University-Shreveport Shreveport, LA | $7,327 | $7,349 | 1,090 | 50.6% | 10,749 | 38% | 30 to 1 |
| 49 | Bismarck State College Bismarck, ND | $7,331 | - | - | - | 4,206 | 47% | 13 to 1 |
| 50 | Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA | $7,410 | - | - | - | 4,028 | 36% | 16 to 1 |
| 51 | College of Western Idaho Nampa, ID | $7,454 | - | - | - | 11,015 | 31% | 20 to 1 |
| 1290 | Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies Fayette, MO | $7,500 | $7,425 | - | 87.5% | 3,802 | - | 28 to 1 |
| 52 | Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX | $7,512 | - | - | - | 73,077 | 21% | 22 to 1 |
| 53 | Georgia Military College Milledgeville, GA | $7,605 | - | - | - | 6,575 | 38% | 15 to 1 |
| 54 | South Texas College McAllen, TX | $7,620 | - | - | - | 27,431 | 27% | 22 to 1 |
| 1231 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC | $7,648 | $19,987 | 1,080 | 93.3% | 7,674 | 44% | 14 to 1 |
| 55 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan, PR | $7,750 | $4,652 | - | - | 6,097 | 31% | 22 to 1 |
| 56 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina, PR | $7,750 | $4,652 | - | - | 5,185 | 34% | 27 to 1 |
| 57 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR | $7,750 | $4,652 | - | - | 9,909 | 31% | 28 to 1 |
| 58 | Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI | $7,816 | - | - | - | 11,410 | 17% | 25 to 1 |
| 59 | Stark State College North Canton, OH | $7,886 | - | - | - | 10,128 | 23% | 17 to 1 |
| 60 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA | $7,905 | - | - | - | 4,477 | 29% | 13 to 1 |
| 61 | Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH | $8,016 | - | - | - | 3,182 | 30% | 16 to 1 |
| 62 | Clark State College Springfield, OH | $8,049 | - | - | - | 5,077 | 22% | 13 to 1 |
| 63 | Tallahassee State College Tallahassee, FL | $8,062 | - | - | - | 12,455 | 38% | 25 to 1 |
| 1250 | Wayne State College Wayne, NE | $8,171 | $10,194 | - | - | 4,666 | 52% | 19 to 1 |
| 64 | Edison State Community College Piqua, OH | $8,346 | - | - | - | 4,624 | 38% | 23 to 1 |
| 1160 | Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC | $8,353 | $17,856 | 990 | 82.2% | 7,107 | 38% | 20 to 1 |
| 905 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV | $8,400 | $8,700 | - | - | 50,715 | 57% | 25 to 1 |
| 384 | Southwestern Oklahoma State University Weatherford, OK | $8,499 | $8,110 | - | - | 5,186 | 40% | 19 to 1 |
| 1292 | University of Arkansas Grantham LIttle Rock, AR | $8,520 | $4,980 | - | - | 5,646 | 43% | 20 to 1 |
| 65 | Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH | $8,556 | - | - | - | 19,415 | 41% | 16 to 1 |
| 1097 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC | $8,630 | $18,595 | 1,180 | 81.8% | 11,686 | 60% | 16 to 1 |
| 66 | Gulf Coast State College Panama City, FL | $8,635 | - | - | - | 5,426 | 43% | 22 to 1 |
| 67 | Fresno City College Fresno, CA | $8,638 | - | - | - | 28,071 | 24% | 29 to 1 |
| 1166 | Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT | $8,658 | $9,320 | - | - | 210,208 | 46% | 42 to 1 |
| 68 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA | $8,668 | - | - | - | 7,510 | 33% | 20 to 1 |
| 69 | Shasta College Redding, CA | $8,853 | - | - | - | 9,073 | 23% | 28 to 1 |
| 1164 | Thomas Edison State University Trenton, NJ | $8,856 | $12,150 | - | - | 7,544 | - | 20 to 1 |
| 70 | Lorain County Community College Elyria, OH | $8,860 | - | - | - | 9,350 | 31% | 14 to 1 |
| 71 | Quincy College Quincy, MA | $8,938 | - | - | - | 3,022 | 15% | 22 to 1 |
| 72 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FL | $8,952 | - | - | - | 30,728 | 39% | 31 to 1 |
| 73 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ | $8,958 | - | - | - | 18,841 | 9% | 31 to 1 |
| 74 | South Mountain Community College Phoenix, AZ | $8,958 | - | - | - | 4,516 | 16% | 20 to 1 |
| 75 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 13,914 | 16% | 18 to 1 |
| 76 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 5,553 | 29% | 15 to 1 |
| 77 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 17,077 | 16% | 18 to 1 |
| 78 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 10,660 | 14% | 16 to 1 |
| 79 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 7,065 | 17% | 16 to 1 |
| 80 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 6,148 | 19% | 14 to 1 |
| 81 | Chandler-Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ | $8,959 | - | - | - | 15,085 | 30% | 26 to 1 |
| 1146 | Colorado State University Global Denver, CO | $9,000 | $12,150 | - | 98.4% | 10,257 | - | 23 to 1 |
| 521 | Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Portales, NM | $9,054 | $7,480 | 940 | 91.7% | 5,725 | 45% | 18 to 1 |
| 82 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FL | $9,088 | - | - | - | 21,483 | 34% | 23 to 1 |
| 83 | James A. Rhodes State College Lima, OH | $9,120 | - | - | - | 4,124 | 47% | 18 to 1 |