5 Cheapest Public Colleges in the U.S.

Impact

Letters of acceptance from colleges and universities are coming in from all over the country. For many students, it’s time to make one of the most difficult decisions: Where to go to college?

A recent New York Times article weighs the benefit of attending private versus public universities. Are private universities worth the expense? Is the quality of the education better?

This week, the National Day of Action for Education, organized by groups such as Occupy Colleges, Occupy Education, and the New York Student Aid Alliance had a turnout in the “thousands” all across the country, saying student debt is an issue. As the student debt concern grows, an increasing number of families need to consider cheaper schools when seeking higher education opportunities.

As such, here's a list of the five cheapest public colleges in the U.S.:

1. South Texas College (STC), a public community college in the Rio South Texas region. 

Net tuition: $1,317 a year

2. The University of Texas – Pan American (UTPA), is a state university located in Edinburg, Texas.

Net tuition: $1,646 a year

3. Indian River State College is a member of the Florida college system located in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Net tuition: $2,138 a year

4. California State University, Dominguez Hills (abbreviated CSUDH or CSU Dominguez Hills) is a public university located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County.

Net tuition: $2,451

5. California State University, Los Angeles (also known as Cal State L.A., CSULA, or CSLA) is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University (CSU) system.

Net tuition: $3,263 a year

Photo Credit: Parker Michael Knight