3-Cost

Tuition can range anywhere from about $3,100 a year at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin to more than $30,000 a year at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Factor in also room and board, mandatory fees, books, transportation, and personal costs. College guides and Web sites list such costs, usually stating an average for items such as personal costs.
People automatically think it’s cheaper to attend a state school than a private one. And it may be, if the state school is in the state in which you live. Florida State University in Tallahassee, for example, charges Floridians about $3,000 tuition and non-Floridians about $14,000. If you want to go to a state school outside your home state, find out from the school how to qualify as a resident in that other state before enrolling. However, no matter where your state-of-residence, you’ll need to factor in whether you will need more than four years at a state school to complete your degree requirements.
Many private schools offer more financial aid to lessen and sometimes erase the gap between public and private schools. Your best bet is to not discount a school you think is beyond reach financially until you call the financial aid office at the school and discuss your situation.