Atenas
Is it better and cheaper to go to a out of state college if I live in California?
I have compared the prices of colleges in and out of state and I realize that it would be cheaper to leave the state. However, I am unsure whether this will be a good choice or not. #college #college-admissions #career #higher-education
5 answers
Vickey Manning
Vickey’s Answer
No. In state tuition is always less expensive. Having said that, the schools need to be comparable. For instance you can compare UCLA to University of Michigan, you can't compare UCLA and places like University of Montana. They have to be in equal "classes" before you can compare them.
Simeon Snow
Simeon’s Answer
Tracy Gill, DPT, MPA
Tracy’s Answer
I am glad you started your college research. It has been my experience that non-resident tuition is usually higher than in-state tuition. For instance if you attend college as an out-to-state state resident at Rutgers University in New Jersey your tuition will be $27,282 versus if you attend the University of California Berkeley as an in-state resident the tuition would be $13,485. When you decide on the university you would like to attend you should first fill out a FAFSA form to determine your eligibility for financial aid and scholarships. Please be aware that FAFSA deadline is usually in June and you should stay on top of all your deadlines. Good luck! College decisions
Kimberly Redgate
Kimberly’s Answer
Great job on starting to compare colleges!
Something to consider is not just the cost of tuition. Also want to look into what the price of living expenses would be at both colleges. Researching this area in all aspects of how you want to live while in college is crucial for getting the most out of the experience. So combining both college and living expenses may help you decide.
I recommend going to http://www.jumpstart.org/reality-check.html You'd just fill it out separately for each college and compare results to help give a clearer snapshot of the pros and cons of attending both colleges.
Hope this helps and all the best to you wherever you decide to go! :)
Spruce Cox
Spruce’s Answer
<span style="color: black;">Hey Atenas,</span>
<span style="color: black;">Good question – this can get confusing. One of your other answers captures the main point, and that is that for public schools, in-state tuition is almost always less than out-of-state. Same with out-of-country, too. Perhaps when you did your analysis you got your ins and outs mixed up. Easy to do. Another factor is public schools versus private schools. Public is almost always less expensive than private. And private schools often get more publicity because they can spend more money on faculty and top students so those are the ones that we hear about the most.</span>
<span style="color: black;">In California for example, University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA), University of California – Berkeley (UC Berkeley), and California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly Slo) are all public, but Stanford, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and University of Southern California (USC) are all private. Which ones have you heard about the most? In fact, I remember reading a while back that the university system in California is one of the best in the country on a per dollar basis because it’s so big that it appeals to and can afford good faculty and it can share resources that smaller states can’t.</span>
<span style="color: black;">Your other answer mentioned cost-of-living and where you would like to live and these issues are just as important whether you’re in or out-of-state. It might also help to separate the costs of tuition/books and living expenses because if the school that you like happens to be near someone or something that can lower your expenses (like roommates, borrowing cars, food), then tuition/books might be pretty close but living expenses tip the scales.</span>
<span style="color: black;">All the best.</span>
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