Revealed: The states where college tuition is getting more expensive

  • GOBankingRates analyzed college cost from 2013-14 through 2021-22
  • Private college tuition costs in Iowa had the largest eight-year increase
  • Public tuition in Alaska jumped 28.9 percent from 2013 to 2022 

A new study revealed the states where the cost of college tuition is rising, as Americans student loan debt continues to soar. 

Over 43 million Americans owe a collective $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, with the average borrower owing $37,000, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Rising tuition and loan debt has prompted some young people to opt out of college, while others carefully consider where to attend based on the cost.

GOBankingRates analyzed each state to find how much the cost of college tuition has increased from the 2013-2014 school year to the 2021-2022 school year, and found both public and private institutions had cost increases. 

The study used National Center for Education Statistics’ Digest of Education Statistics to source school costs, then calculated the changes in dollars and percentages. 

Private college tuition costs in Iowa, like Drake University (pictured), had the largest eight-year dollar increase of any state in the country, according to a new study

Private college tuition costs in Iowa, like Drake University (pictured), had the largest eight-year dollar increase of any state in the country, according to a new study

Alaska saw the largest public university tuition increase of 28.9 percent from 2013 to 2022

Alaska saw the largest public university tuition increase of 28.9 percent from 2013 to 2022

Private college tuition costs in Iowa had the largest eight-year dollar increase of any state in the country, rising by more than $22,000.

The cost of private colleges in Massachusetts shot up 24.2 percent from 2013 to $67,953 in 2022.

Two Boston area institutions, Wellesley College and Boston University, broke $90,000 in annual costs for the 2024-2025 school year, reported NBC Boston

Within the eight years of the study, Oregon’s average private college costs grew 29.4 percent to $60,038.

Rhode Island's average private college costs skyrocketed from $46,704 in 2013 to $64,025 in 2022.

Private college tuition in Vermont grew 25.5 percent from 2013 to $64,274 in 2022.

While attending a public university traditionally costs less than a private school, GOBankingRates found that public schools were still subject to rising costs.

Both Massachusetts and Vermont saw public school tuition increases along with private.

Public college in the Bay State rose from $21,814 in 2013 to $28,72 in 2022, a 23.7 percent increase.

The Green Mountain State saw a 22.2 percent increase in public tuition costs over the eight-year period, reaching $30,921 in 2022.

Alaska saw the largest public school tuition increase of 28.9 percent from 2013 to 2022.

Including tuition, fees and room and board, it cost an average of $15,693 a year to attend a public college in Alaska in 2013. The price jumped to $22,063 in 2022.

The cost of public college in Connecticut rose to an average of $28, 816 per year in 2022, a 24.9 percent increase from 2013.

In Virginia, the average cost of public college increased from $19,845 in 2013 to $26,507 in 2022.