I want to go to college in Oregon or California, because I would love to live there but I don’t think I’d want to be that far from my East Coast family for good. Will the tuition be a major difference since it’s not my state?
Unless you are targeting privates, OOS students will pay more for any public schools not in their state. Two examples since I am from California:
UC system: In-state costs for tuition/room/board $30K/year Out of State Costs: $55K/year
Cal States: In-state costs $20K/year Out of State Costs: $30K/year
Also especially for California public schools, you will receive little to no financial aid since your are not a resident.
With California privates, there is no difference for in-state vs OOS however, they are always pricier. Privates will give FA and merit scholarships to help offset many of the costs, so many times cheaper than the publics. I suggest you do some research and ask your parents how much they can afford. Remember to include travel costs to the East coast at least twice a year. Good Luck with you search.
While it varies state to state, I always heard a broad rule of thumb was that OOS tuition would be roughly double what in-state tuition is. (room and board will be the same regardless of state) Still, there are private schools where that isn’t an issue and those might be worth looking at.