Cheapest Colleges to "get away" to

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Here's the scenario:</p>

<p>You want to go away from home. Go somewhere out of state.
You aren't likely to get a scholarship, and you aren't eligible for financial aid, and you don't want to spend a lot of money, so "sticker price" matters. You want to go somewhere that is good, but inexpensive. A bargain college.</p>

<p>Which are the cheapest colleges to get away to?</p>

<p>Take the US News list of the least expensive colleges and sort them by
out-of-state tuition, and there you have it: Colleges where you could get away and find a reasonably priced annual tuition, room, and board, many in the $10 to $12,000 per year range. I've posted the list below.</p>

<p>some questions...
Anyone have any input on any of these schools? Are any of them rated particularly well? Are there any that you know and like (especially if you think the national guides are under rating them)? Are these all relatively easy to get in to?</p>

<p>a few comments...
I suppose the dorms at Florida Gulf Coast University must be new, since the college has only been enrolling students since 1997...
Some colleges in Canada are very reasonably priced!<br>
If you don't mind cold weather and enjoy the out of doors, Bemidji State is a good possibility. And there is a special bonus: free parking in the winter. (Lake Bemidji freezes over and the snowplows keep areas clear for parking lots.) </p>

<p>Here's the list; sorry the columns didn't work.</p>

<p>First column is School name
Second "column" is Tuition and fees (in state)<br>
Third "column" is Tuition and fees (out-of-state)<br>
Fourth "column" is room and board</p>

<p>Florida Gulf Coast University "$3,559 " "$2,704 " "$7,798 "
University of British Columbia "$4,135 " "$4,135 " "$5,720 "
University of Western Ontario "$4,306 " "$4,306 " N/A
University of Hawaii–West Oahu "$1,368 " "$4,392 " N/A
York University "$4,862 " "$4,862 " "$4,579 "
Univ. of Arkansas–Monticello "$4,150 " "$4,930 " "$3,366 "
Oklahoma Panhandle State Univ. "$3,461 " "$5,687 " "$4,100 "
Granite State College (NH) "$5,187 " "$5,691 " N/A
Eastern Oregon University "$5,826 " "$5,826 " "$7,776 "
W Virginia University–Parkersburg "$1,668 " "$5,892 " N/A
Southeastern Oklahoma State U. "$3,372 " "$5,998 " "$3,190 "
Northern State University (SD) "$4,962 " "$6,153 " "$4,102 "
Southwest MN State Univ (MN) "$6,240 " "$6,240 " "$5,324 "
Bemidji State University (MN) "$6,490 " "$6,490 " "$5,628 "
Univ. of the District of Columbia "$3,210 " "$6,510 " N/A
Murray State University (KY) "$4,998 " "$6,788 " "$5,226 "
University of South Alabama "$3,510 " "$6,820 " "$5,872 "
Peru State College (NE) "$3,800 " "$6,860 " "$4,816 "
Chadron State College (NE) "$3,855 " "$6,945 " "$4,065 "
Morgan State University (MD) "$3,209 " "$6,982 " "$3,495 "
Southern Arkansas University "$4,890 " "$7,080 " "$3,930 "
Wayne State College (NE) "$4,013 " "$7,088 " "$4,470 "
Athens State University (AL) "$3,870 " "$7,140 " N/A
South Carolina State University "$3,639 " "$7,161 " "$2,559 "
Bluefield State College (WV) "$3,682 " "$7,760 " N/A
Missouri Southern State University "$4,096 " "$7,996 " "$4,480 "
Alabama State University "$4,008 " "$8,016 " N/A
Northeastern State University (OK) "$3,270 " "$8,040 " "$3,080 "
Cameron University (OK) "$3,538 " "$8,110 " "$4,092 "
Jacksonville State University (AL) "$4,056 " "$8,112 " "$3,820 "
Idaho State University "$4,190 " "$8,270 " "$4,950 "
Troy University (AL) "$4,316 " "$8,320 " "$4,920 "
Alabama A&M University "$4,420 " "$8,320 " "$4,770 "
University of North Alabama "$4,646 " "$8,414 " "$4,372 "
East Central University (OK) "$3,497 " "$8,476 " "$3,190 "
Northwestern Oklahoma State U. "$3,428 " "$8,498 " "$3,310 "
Southeastern Louisiana University "$3,172 " "$8,500 " "$5,680 "
University of Minnesota–Crookston "$8,514 " "$8,514 " "$5,420 "
Eastern New Mexico University "$2,964 " "$8,520 " "$4,568 "
California State Univ.–East Bay "$2,928 " "$8,544 " "$7,263 "
University of West Alabama "$4,778 " "$8,616 " "$3,318 "
Slippery Rock U. of Pennsylvania "$6,212 " "$8,666 " "$4,796 "
Southwestern Oklahoma State U. "$4,200 " "$8,700 " "$3,550 "</p>

2

<p>Western Ontario (UBO) is probably the gem in that list. </p>

<p>Great undergrad program. One of the top 10 business schools in the world (Ivey), top medical school, top engineering school. Same size as U Michigan, Cornell with similar credentials and course selection. Rated #3 in Canada behind Toronto and McGill. </p>

<p>Located in NW corner of London, Ontario. City size is about 350,000 people. Nice medium sized mid-west type city. Big enough to attract entertainment, restaurants, etc. Small enough to get around. Beautiful campus on a hill with Thames river running through it.</p>

<p>Takes equivalent of 3.7 or so to get in so peers are top notch. Not easy to get in. Will require 1st semester senior year grades in addition. No slacking off sr. year. No essays. No test scores. You get another 10-15% financial bonus based on exchange rate. You're talking top-20 school education at bargain basement prices. Same issues as all big schools - some TAs, get lost in the crowd, etc. Must take charge of your own academic career.</p>

<p>Culture in Canada is a bit different. Most courses are year long. Most are heavily mid-term and final test oriented. More of an "English" - English. Poly Sci and such are completely different. Parliamentary vs. Republic. Canada politics vs. US. More conservative county, more socialist. More polite in general.</p>

<p>Great school.</p>

3

<p>None of the American schools on that list are really that good.</p>

4

<p>UBC is a top school too, if you live on the West Coast I'd consider that one also. One of the best Canadian schools west of the Rockies.</p>

5

<p>Oklahoma Panhandle State U. isn't good?</p>

<p>I agree with Mountaindog re U of Western Ontario...nice campus with gothic architecture. It used to be known as a place that had very attractive students--not sure about now. It's a 2-hour drive from Toronto, and a 2-hour drive from Detroit.</p>

6

<p>Slippery Rock supposedly has a fairly good honors program, plus a great name ;).</p>

7

<p>there are like 20 schools on there that are in alabama, oklahoma, or arkansas... ummm thank but no thanks..</p>

8

<p>Those "out-of-state" tuitions in the Canadian colleges are NOT available to you if you are from the US.</p>

9

<p>But international rates at CDN schools still are much cheaper than OOS in US. Add $8-9k (CDN) to the UWO and UBC rates and you'll get an approximate idea of the international tuition. For UWO regular pgms, about $15k tuition = $13k USD. Still a pretty good deal.</p>

10

<p>You would probably do better picking a college that's within your own state but not within easy parental spying distance of home. </p>

<p>Unless, of course, you live in Rhode Island or Delaware.</p>

11

<p>If you are from a big high school, the problem with any college in state, even if is away from your parents, there are people from your high school there...</p>

12

<p>I'm Pennsylvanian, and let me tell you...even in my state (where Slippery Rock is located) 2/3 of people don't even know what it is. That plus its dismal ranking (third tier, master's universities north)...enough said...</p>

13

<p>Great research JJG. Two other sources I'd recommend are the list of "bargain" colleges in the 2007 Fiske Guide to Colleges and the list that Kiplingers puts out every other year for public colleges.</p>

<p>Oops and add one other source: Barrons puts out a book every other year called something like, Best Buys in College Education, that has about 260 colleges that are relatively cheap.</p>

14

<p>I didn't see Evergreen State College on that list which is not only cheapand a pretty interesting college .</p>

<p>Is that true about Canadian Colleges for Americans ??? How is it that so many people in New York got to McGill ???</p>

15

<p>
[quote]
Add $8-9k (CDN) to the UWO and UBC rates and you'll get an approximate idea of the international tuition.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I think you will find it is more than US$18k per year at UBC: <a href="http://www.students.ubc.ca/welcome/finance.cfm?page=costs%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.students.ubc.ca/welcome/finance.cfm?page=costs&lt;/a>. The number for an engineering student was C$21,093. This is a little lower than a typical out of state tuition at a US public university, but not incredibly so.</p>

16

<p>"Two other sources I'd recommend are the list of "bargain" colleges in the 2007 Fiske Guide to Colleges and the list that Kiplingers puts out every other year for public colleges. Oops and add one other source: Barrons puts out a book every other year called something like, Best Buys in College Education, that has about 260 colleges that are relatively cheap."</p>

<p>The trouble with most guides to bargain colleges is that they factor in that students get a lot of financial aid. </p>

<p>Many families could, in theory by FAFSA, afford to pay for tuition room and board at a pricy school, but they really don't want to.</p>

17

<p>Just curious - to the OP - some of the tuitions you quoted are IN-STATE - not for OOS - so actually there would be many more to be added to this list for OOS tuition purposes I would think.</p>

18

<p>"I think you will find it is more than US$18k per year at UBC: <a href="http://www.students.ubc.ca/welcome/f...cfm?page=costs%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.students.ubc.ca/welcome/f...cfm?page=costs&lt;/a>. The number for an engineering student was C$21,093. This is a little lower than a typical out of state tuition at a US public university, but not incredibly so."</p>

<p>More research:
For a US Student looking at the University of Alberta in Edmonton
You're an international student</p>

<p>Tuition and fees:
$16,271 in Canadian dollars, $14196 US dollars
Room/board:
$5,032, $4390 in US dollars</p>

<p>Sum of tuition plus room and board for a year: $18,500
plus other fees of course
Not far from the $15K + price for tuition plus room and board at Ohio state for an Ohio resident; generally less than most out of state tuitions.
(plus other fees at Ohio too of course)</p>

<p>I understand that the large provincial colleges are academically very good.</p>

<p>I can't figure out how hard they are to get admitted to.</p>

19

<p>JJG, interesting... The CBC number I posted didn't inlcude room and board. Seems like quite a large variance in international student tuition.</p>

20

<p>SUNY system is rather cheap for out of state at 10k</p>