College Tuition Tops $50K on Average in U.S. States

College costs continue to move higher but just how big a tab you might pay depends on what state you live in. California’s Harvey Mudd University is the most expensive with tuition, and room and board costs totaling $67,255. Coming in second was New York’s Columbia University at $66,383 and Illinois’ University of Chicago was third at $64,965.

Astonishingly, college costs spiked above $60,000 per year in 23 of the nation’s 50 states. The analysis of the most expensive universities by state was conducted by Business Insider.

At the other end of the spectrum, the list of the least expensive of the most expensive universities included the University of Wyoming at $25,668. North Dakota’s North Dakota State University came in second at $26,894 and the University of Alaska at Anchorage came in third at $27,431.

Is there good news for beleaguered parents and students? College education experts say that published tuition prices should be considered sticker prices that can be negotiated rather than a fete accompli. They advise parents to request college admissions offices to reduce prices when possible.