23 of the top 50 universities are public schools.
Public schools offer different tuition prices depending on whether you are considered an in-state or out-of-state resident. However, these differences vary drastically between $14,000 and $43,000 annually.
| Rank | University | In-State | Out-of-State | Diff |
| 11 | Berkeley (UCB) | $16,608 | $50,808 | $34,200 |
| 15 | UCLA | $15,154 | $49,354 | $34,200 |
| 16 | Michigan | $17,736 | $60,946 | $43,210 |
| 18 | UC San Diego | $18,480 | $51,054 | $32,574 |
| 19 | Washington | $12,973 | $43,209 | $30,236 |
| 26 | North Carolina | $7,020 | $39,228 | $32,208 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $11,606 | $42,104 | $30,498 |
| 28 | Illinois (UIUC) | $17,640 | $36,760 | $19,120 |
| 29 | UC Davis | $14,436 | $48,636 | $34,200 |
| 31 | Georgia Tech | $12,058 | $34,484 | $22,426 |
| 32 | Texas | $5,429 | $21,277 | $15,848 |
| 34 | Florida | $6,380 | $28,658 | $22,278 |
| 37 | Virginia | $19,422 | $58,142 | $38,720 |
| 39 | Minnesota | $17,370 | $38,518 | $21,148 |
| 40 | Purdue | $9,992 | $28,794 | $18,802 |
| 41 | UC Santa Barbara | $15,666 | $48,240 | $32,574 |
| 42 | Ohio State | $13,244 | $40,022 | $26,778 |
| 43 | Texas A&M | $5,775 | $19,748 | $13,973 |
| 44 | Maryland | $5,905 | $20,593 | $14,689 |
| 46 | UC Irvine | $14,436 | $48,636 | $34,200 |
| 47 | Michigan State | $16,526 | $43,910 | $27,384 |
| 48 | Rutgers | $17,929 | $37,441 | $19,512 |
| 50 | Indiana | $12,142 | $41,890 | $29,748 |
Best for Out-of-State
Texas wants you!
Texas A&M is the top public school with out-of-state tuition under $20k. Texas-Austin and Maryland join in with being just under $22k and are the cheapest options.
Worst for Out-of-State
Michigan does not want you!
There is an enormous $43k price hike for students who want to attend Michigan but do not live there. However, it is the best public school outside of California.
Virginia was the most surprising as it costs $58k/year, more than Harvard!
All California schools receive either a $32,574 or $34,200 price bump.
Conclusion
The average in-state tuition for these premiere schools is only $13,105, while the tuition of the top 25 private universities is an average of $62,322.
Before going deeper into these numbers, please remember that every school offers financial aid in different ways, and your financial situation is more important than just looking at the sticker prices for these schools. Most public schools use FAFSA, and you should know your SAI. However, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Virginia, and UNC use CSS.
Still, if you live in California, Illinois, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, or Wisconsin, you can save over $200,000 over four years.
