Tuition Comparison Calculator
Compare the total 4-year cost of in-state, out-of-state, and private college tuition including room, board, and annual increases.
Compare net cost, not sticker price. Net cost is what a college’s total cost of attendance comes to after grants and scholarships, the money you never pay back. A private school listing $59,000 can land below a public one listing $26,000 once a large grant is applied, so the number to type into each field is the net figure from each offer letter.
What this calculator does:
Cost in year N = Year 1 cost × (1 + increase)^(N − 1)
Total = the sum of every year
Tuition does not stand still. Around 4% a year is the long-run US average, so a school listing $26,000 today bills roughly $29,250 in year four.
Cost of attendance components (approximate US averages; these move every year and vary enormously by state):
| Category | Public in-state | Public out-of-state | Private |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,000 | $29,000 | $42,000 |
| Room & board | $12,000 | $12,000 | $14,000 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| Personal | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,500 |
| Total | $26,200 | $44,200 | $59,700 |
Those are sticker figures. Subtract your grants and scholarships before entering them.
Worked example, run the way the calculator runs it:
In-state $26,000, out-of-state $44,200, private $59,700, four years, 4% a year.
- In-state: 26,000 + 27,040 + 28,122 + 29,246 = $110,408
- Out-of-state: $187,694, which is $77,286 more
- Private: $253,514, which is $143,106 more
Set the annual increase to zero and the in-state figure drops to $104,000. That $6,400 gap is the part most families forget to budget for.
What this does not include
Borrowing costs. On a $72,000 balance at 6.5% over a ten-year term the payment is about $818 a month, and the interest adds roughly $26,000 on top. Work out how much you actually need to borrow first, then run it through the Student Loan Calculator.
Worth checking on every offer:
- Every US college is required to publish a Net Price Calculator. Use it before you compare.
- Merit aid is often renewable only above a minimum GPA, so read the conditions.
- A cheaper school where you take five years costs more than a pricier four-year one.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.