Report Shows State Schools a Viable Option For Vulnerable Out-of-State Students

Despite a troubling trend towards uber-expensive colleges and universities — with many institutions creeping toward costing nearly $50,000 a year — a select group of institutions have remained among the best in-state bargains in the country, it was recently highlighted by U.S. News & World Report.

According to the report, these schools offer the best in-state tuition rates:

Minot State University (ND) $5,921
West Texas A&M University $7,630
Bemidji State University (MN) $8,106
Mayville State University (ND) $8,436
Northern State University (SD) $9,133
Midwestern State University (TX) $9,188
Louisiana State University–Alexandria $9,244
South Dakota State University $9,350
University of South Dakota $9,650
Missouri Southern State University $9,654

“U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2012 survey of undergraduate programs,” the report said of its findings. “Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’s data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale.”

Highly-ranked state schools with affordable out-of-state tuition rates are a welcome advantage for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds because it gives them more options and keeps already vulnerable students away from taking exorbitant loans they likely won’t be able to afford even with a degree.

Read the report here.