Lists · 2026–27

159 affordable US universities: tuition and fees under $20,000

These 159 US universities on the Common App published tuition and fees of $20,000 or less for 2024–25 at the out-of-state rate, the one international students pay at least at public universities (some add an international fee). Food, housing and books come on top: each university's page shows the full yearly cost.

Updated September 25, 2026

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159 of 159 universities

University	Tuition & fees	City	Acceptance rate	Intl fee
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon	$6,410	Santurce	58%	$0
Wake Technical Community College	$6,862	Raleigh	—	$0
York County Community College	$7,036	Wells	—	$0
University of North Carolina at Pembroke	$7,648	Pembroke	93.3%	$45
Rend Lake College	$7,800	Ina	—	$0
Black Hawk College	$8,100	Moline	—	$20
Western Carolina University	$8,630	Cullowhee	81.8%	$65
San Francisco Bay University	$8,830	Fremont	95.8%	$0
Carl Sandburg College	$8,900	Galesburg	—	$0
Morris Brown College	$9,558	Atlanta	—	$30
Southeast Missouri State University	$9,903	Cape Girardeau	73.5%	$0
Texas College	$10,008	Tyler	—	$0
Lincoln Land Community College	$10,464	Springfield	—	$0
Elim Bible College	$10,480	Lima	—	$0
Elizabeth City State University	$10,536	Elizabeth City	64.2%	$0
The University of Tennessee-Southern	$10,924	Pulaski	86.7%	$30
West Texas A&M University	$10,996	Canyon	98.7%	$100
Community College of Baltimore County	$11,010	Baltimore	—	$0
Jarvis Christian University	$11,720	Hawkins	—	$0
Zane State College	$11,766	Zanesville	—	$0
William Rainey Harper College	$11,874	Palatine	—	$25
Jackson State University	$11,965	Jackson	93.1%	$25
University of Southern Mississippi	$11,998	Hattiesburg	99.1%	$45
Governors State University	$12,004	University Park	48.3%	$0
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges	$12,460	Olney	—	$100
Oakton College	$12,462	Des Plaines	—	$0
Wiley University	$12,500	Marshall	—	$0
University of the District of Columbia	$12,514	Washington	—	$0
Midwestern State University	$12,530	Wichita Falls	93.5%	$50
National Louis University	$12,705	Chicago	95.1%	$0
College of DuPage	$12,750	Glen Ellyn	—	$0
Chicago State University	$12,754	Chicago	43.3%	$50
SUNY Delhi	$12,762	Delhi	89%	$50
Sauk Valley Community College	$12,900	Dixon	—	$0
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville	$12,922	Edwardsville	97.5%	$40
University of South Dakota	$12,942	Vermillion	98.8%	$25
Baker College	$13,000	Owosso	81.9%	$0
Heartland Community College	$13,110	Normal	—	$0
Northern Illinois University	$13,248	Dekalb	69.8%	$0
University of Minnesota Crookston	$13,288	Crookston	87.9%	$30
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	$13,334	Carbondale	86.9%	$40
SUNY College of Technology at Canton	$13,572	Canton	92.1%	$50
Kishwaukee College	$13,680	Malta	—	$0
Albizu University-Miami	$13,818	Miami	75.7%	$25
Coppin State University	$14,024	Baltimore	45.8%	$0
Lake Land College	$14,301	Mattoon	—	$0
Allen University	$14,304	Columbia	72.5%	$0
Central Michigan University	$14,760	Mount Pleasant	89.8%	$55
Austin Peay State University	$14,766	Clarksville	96.4%	$25
Ferris State University	$14,778	Big Rapids	91.4%	$0
University of Maine at Presque Isle	$14,862	Presque Isle	99.9%	$0
University of Maine at Fort Kent	$14,880	Fort Kent	97.9%	$0
Lake Superior State University	$14,890	Sault Ste Marie	—	$0
Goldey-Beacom College	$14,940	Wilmington	84.5%	$0
Richard Bland College	$14,970	South Prince George	89.3%	$35
Morehead State University	$14,980	Morehead	77.2%	$0
University of Minnesota Rochester	$15,016	Rochester	71%	$30
Life University	$15,036	Marietta	93%	$0
Trinity College of Jacksonville	$15,100	Jacksonville	53.3%	$35
Western Illinois University	$15,264	Macomb	71.2%	$50
Triton College	$15,330	River Grove	—	$0
The University of Memphis	$15,384	Memphis	72%	$50
University of North Dakota	$15,570	Grand Forks	76.9%	$35
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania	$15,974	Shippensburg	86.5%	$45
Pennsylvania Western University	$16,054	California	94.3%	$35
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	$16,068	Kutztown	90.8%	$40
Bridgewater College	$16,090	Bridgewater	91.7%	$0
Purdue University Northwest	$16,094	Hammond	72.4%	$25
Eastern Illinois University	$16,217	Charleston	65.3%	$0
Eastern Michigan University	$16,240	Ypsilanti	79.6%	$35
Wilberforce University	$16,448	Wilberforce	40.5%	$50
NewU University	$16,500	Washington	—	$0
University of North Georgia	$16,503	Dahlonega	67.9%	$40
Clayton State University	$16,532	Morrow	68.4%	$40
Central Connecticut State University	$16,550	New Britain	73.3%	$50
University of Holy Cross	$16,576	New Orleans	73.7%	$0
The University of Tennessee-Martin	$16,600	Martin	88.2%	$130
University of Minnesota Morris	$16,710	Morris	74.9%	$30
Winston-Salem State University	$16,782	Winston-Salem	78.3%	$50
Vincennes University	$16,858	Vincennes	—	$0
Western Connecticut State University	$16,901	Danbury	87%	$50
Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO)	$16,954	New Orleans	78.9%	$45
Missouri Southern State University	$17,080	Joplin	97%	$60
Southern New Hampshire University	$17,200	Manchester	99.5%	$0
Southern University and A&M College	$17,272	Baton Rouge	35.1%	$30
Northeastern State University	$17,290	Tahlequah	99.6%	$25
Florida Atlantic University	$17,324	Boca Raton	66.1%	$30
Northwest Missouri State University	$17,324	Maryville	86.1%	$15
University of South Florida	$17,324	Tampa	43.2%	$30
Shawnee State University	$17,358	Portsmouth	—	$50
Fitchburg State University	$17,426	Fitchburg	86.9%	$35
Eastern Connecticut State University	$17,428	Willimantic	83%	$50
University of Wisconsin - Parkside	$17,429	Kenosha	75.4%	$0
University of Wisconsin - River Falls	$17,470	River Falls	81.7%	$0
Shaw University	$17,538	Raleigh	80.2%	$0
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU)	$17,725	Tallahassee	20.6%	$30
Georgia Southern University	$17,734	Statesboro	87.9%	$30
Kennesaw State University	$17,736	Kennesaw	69.2%	$40
University of West Georgia	$17,800	Carrollton	51.6%	$40
Valdosta State University	$17,836	Valdosta	72.3%	$40
East Central University	$17,842	Ada	58.1%	$75
Grand Canyon University	$17,850	Phoenix	78.9%	$0
Worcester State University	$17,866	Worcester	88%	$50
Colorado State University Pueblo	$17,944	Pueblo	94.9%	$25
Bridgewater State University	$17,948	Bridgewater	87.8%	$50
Framingham State University	$18,000	Framingham	83.6%	$50
University of Central Arkansas	$18,023	Conway	89.5%	$50
Tarleton State University	$18,142	Stephenville	89.6%	$50
Utah Tech University	$18,246	Saint George	—	$75
Westfield State University	$18,259	Westfield	81.4%	$50
Claflin University	$18,282	Orangeburg	64.9%	$0
Livingstone College	$18,296	Salisbury	59.2%	$0
Angelo State University	$18,300	San Angelo	83%	$50
Keystone College	$18,300	La Plume	84.8%	$0
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University (FranU)	$18,310	Baton Rouge	98.7%	$0
Houghton University	$18,430	Houghton	88.7%	$0
Texas Woman's University	$18,480	Denton	96.1%	$75
University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point	$18,508	Stevens Point	91.8%	$0
Cleveland State University	$18,510	Cleveland	91.3%	$0
The University of Tennessee- Chattanooga	$18,512	Chattanooga	81.1%	$30
SUNY Farmingdale State College	$18,536	Farmingdale	63.3%	$50
Truman State University	$18,566	Kirksville	83.8%	$0
University of Central Missouri	$18,600	Warrensburg	63.8%	$75
SUNY Cobleskill	$18,678	Cobleskill	84%	$50
SUNY Potsdam	$18,678	Potsdam	77.7%	$50
University of Wisconsin- Whitewater	$18,716	Whitewater	85.7%	$0
SUNY Oswego	$18,735	Oswego	80.5%	$50
Lamar University	$18,745	Beaumont	86.4%	$75
Missouri State University	$18,770	Springfield	90.5%	$50
SUNY Cortland	$18,784	Cortland	59.8%	$50
Florida State University	$18,786	Tallahassee	24.2%	$30
SUNY New Paltz	$18,822	New Paltz	61.6%	$50
SUNY College at Old Westbury	$18,842	Old Westbury	83.6%	$50
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania	$18,870	Cheyney	—	$0
SUNY Plattsburgh	$18,945	Plattsburgh	78.4%	$50
Florida International University	$18,964	Miami	54.7%	$30
Western Michigan University	$19,034	Kalamazoo	84.6%	$100
Savannah State University	$19,043	Savannah	—	$20
Sam Houston State University	$19,068	Huntsville	90.3%	$90
Shepherd University	$19,082	Shepherdstown	96.8%	$50
The University of South Alabama	$19,092	Mobile	71%	$35
Morgan State University	$19,124	Baltimore	82.2%	$35
Colby-Sawyer College	$19,125	New London	80.1%	$0
SUNY Maritime College	$19,159	Throggs Neck	72.4%	$50
SUNY Purchase	$19,203	Purchase	74%	$50
University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire	$19,228	Eau Claire	82.3%	$25
The University of West Florida	$19,241	Pensacola	58.2%	$30
SUNY Morrisville State College	$19,245	Morrisville	91.5%	$50
University of Wisconsin- Stout Polytechnic	$19,265	Menomonie	87.7%	$0
Upper Iowa University	$19,475	Fayette	96.5%	$0
Belmont Abbey College	$19,500	Belmont	74.7%	$0
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania	$19,502	East Stroudsburg	92.1%	$25
Salem State University	$19,531	Salem	95.9%	$50
SUNY College at Geneseo	$19,569	Geneseo	66.4%	$50
Alabama State University	$19,576	Montgomery	97.6%	$0
North Carolina Central University	$19,735	Durham	87%	$50
Northern Michigan University	$19,773	Marquette	84%	$0
SUNY Oneonta	$19,781	Oneonta	69.6%	$50
Wichita State University	$19,869	Wichita	93.9%	$75

Built from each university's 2026–27 requirements as published on the Common App (updated September 25, 2026). Universities can change them during the season: confirm on the official page before you apply. Acceptance rates, international enrollment and costs come from the US Department of Education (IPEDS): fall 2024 admissions and enrollment, 2024–25 published tuition and fees. Download as CSV

Questions

What is the cheapest US university on the Common App for international students?

By published out-of-state tuition and fees for 2024–25, Universidad del Sagrado Corazon: $6,410, about $25,710 a year with food, housing and books.

Do international students pay the out-of-state rate?

At public universities, international students pay at least the out-of-state rate, and some add an international fee. At private universities, tuition is the same for everyone.

Are they free to apply to?

62 of them charge international applicants no application fee for 2026–27.

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