Report: These States Have the Most Affordable Colleges
Credit: warodom changyencham / Moment / Getty Images- The states with the highest percentage of affordable colleges are New Mexico, Florida, and Maine with 85-95% of community and four-year colleges ranked affordable by the National College Attainment Network.
- The states with the highest share of least affordable colleges are Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and North Dakota with zero colleges ranked affordable.
- As of the 2022-23 academic year, only 35% of bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and only 48% of community colleges were affordable, according to the report.
- This year, at least 30 colleges and universities have implemented, announced, or improved free tuition programs for students with financial need.
College is only getting more expensive, but students looking for the states with the highest percentage of affordable universities to attend should consider New Mexico, Florida, and Maine.
A new report from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) found the states with the most and least affordable schools. And it also found that most four-year institutions and nearly half (48%) of community colleges remain financially out of reach.
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According to NCAN, for the 2022-23 academic year, just 35% of the bachelor’s-granting institutions in its sample were affordable, on average.
Students at these four-year institutions faced an average unmet need (or affordability gap) of $1,555, while students at community colleges faced an average unmet need of $486, about double the previous year’s gap.
Students looking for the most options for affordable colleges might find the most opportunities in New Mexico, Florida, and Maine, where NCAN found 85-95% of the colleges were affordable. However, there is still a largely unmet need in these states’ four-year institutions, with an average $2,349, with Maine having the lowest gap of $422.
NCAN found four states without any affordable colleges: Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and North Dakota.
Looking for affordable college options? Read more:
States With the Highest and Lowest Shares of Affordable Colleges
According to NCAN’s database, these are the states with the highest and lowest percentages of affordable schools. However, the states with the most affordable colleges do not always have the smallest need gaps.
| State | % Affordable Institutions | # Affordable Institutions | Average 4-Year Affordability Gap | Average 2-Year Affordability Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 95% | 18/19 | $3,769 | $4,543 |
| Florida | 93% | 13/14 | $2,856 | $3,980 (2019-20) |
| Maine | 85% | 11/13 | $422 | $4,052 |
| Kentucky | 83% | 20/24 | $941 | $3,366 |
| Wyoming | 75% | 6/8 | $1,271 | $9 |
| Alaska | 67% | 2/3 | $1,313 | N/A |
| Washington | 63% | 12/19 | $1,455 | $288 |
| Oklahoma | 62% | 16/26 | $763 | $87 |
| Arizona | 56% | 9/16 | $1,196 | $57 |
| West Virginia | 56% | 10/18 | $151 | $1,841 |
| State | % Affordable Institutions | # Affordable Institutions | Average 4-Year Affordability Gap | Average 2-Year Affordability Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 0% | 0/2 | $3,075 | N/A |
| New Hampshire | 0% | 0/10 | $8,239 | $11,449 |
| North Dakota | 0% | 0/11 | $3,719 | $1,465 |
| Rhode Island | 0% | 0/3 | $4,714 | $1,939 |
| Wisconsin | 7% | 2/28 | $3,549 | $1,336 |
| Pennsylvania | 10% | 3/31 | $8,076 | $4,508 |
| South Dakota | 10% | 1/10 | $4,221 | $1,126 |
| Iowa | 11% | 2/19 | $2,690 | $2,081 |
| Hawaii | 13% | 1/8 | $2,445 | $2,887 |
| Connecticut | 17% | 1/6 | $4,290 | $3,690 |
Impacts on College Financial Aid in 2025
BestColleges found that in 2025 at least 30 colleges and systems added, expanded, or announced free tuition programs for qualifying students from families making below certain incomes.
Nationwide, at least 175 community colleges, college systems, and private and public institutions in 46 states offer free tuition at the very least.
However, the One Big Beautiful Bill has shaken up how students will pay for college. Changes to loan repayment plans and limits on how much a student can borrow could impact students in majors that don’t lead into careers with a salary higher than that of someone who just holds a high school diploma.
The Trump administration is also poised to keep the 2026-27 maximum Pell Grant funding at the same $7,395 for the fourth year in a row. Since the 2012-13 academic year, the maximum Pell Grant had risen every year until 2023.
“This year’s findings underscore the importance of federal student aid, and specifically, direct-to-student funding, in helping students access and pay for higher education,” said NCAN CEO Kim Cook.
“We know what works: investing in need-based aid helps close these gaps and puts degrees within reach for students.”