U.S. College Statistics
A national reference computed live from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, covering tuition, admissions, and post-graduation earnings for every tracked institution.
The national picture
The U.S. Department of Education tracks 6,243 colleges and universities offering 2,298 distinct degree programs across 56 states and territories, with in-state tuition averaging $17,764 against a $21,292 out-of-state average -- a $3,528 gap.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 6,243
- colleges tracked
- 2,298
- degree programs
- $17,764
- avg in-state tuition
- $43,830
- avg 10-yr median earnings
Colleges by state (top 8)
California has the most tracked institutions (657, 10.5% of the national total).
Tuition and earnings
Average in-state tuition across tracked institutions is $17,764 per year, versus $21,292 for out-of-state students -- a $3,528 premium. The average student who received federal financial aid at these institutions earns $43,830 ten years after enrolling, based on Treasury tax-record linkages in the College Scorecard dataset.
These are institution-level averages across 6,243 schools; individual program-level earnings vary widely by field of study. See our program pages for field-specific figures.
Every figure above is computed live from the same source query. See the methodology page for the exact SQL, data vintage, and how we process the College Scorecard dataset.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard 6,243 colleges, 2,298 degree programs · 2024-25 Institutional characteristics and costs from IPEDS; earnings figures derived from Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid recipients, both folded into the single College Scorecard API response.
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