State Residency Matters! Unpacking Acceptance Rates and Costs for Public Universities

As juniors narrow their college lists, it’s important to consider how acceptance rates and costs at public universities can vary for in-state and out-of-state students. The big takeaway? State residency matters! Applicants should be cautious about drawing conclusions about their admissions probability based solely on the overall admit rate at public universities. 

Part of the mission of tax-payer-funded public universities is to educate students within their state borders. This manifests in some locations as specific caps or quotas that limit the enrollment of out-of-state students. Other public universities welcome out-of-state students to bolster their student body and revenue. 

The table below shows public universities with a notable constriction of their acceptance rates from in-state to out-of-state students. For Georgia Tech, 37% of in-state students who apply are accepted. Alternatively, only 13% of students who apply from outside of Georgia are accepted.  The University of Michigan is also known for accepting a limited number of out-of-state students but declines to publish the specific acceptance rates for that population.

It’s not all bad news though! This second table shows institutions who offer equivalent or even favorable acceptance rates for non-residents.

For many of these universities, the higher acceptance rates are designed to bring in non-residents who can bolster their enrollment numbers while also paying higher tuition. But why might selective popular universities like UC San Diego accept out-of-state students at a higher rate than in-state students? In these cases, it’s possible that out-of-state students are less likely to enroll, so the university needs to accept out-of-state students at a higher rate to achieve the enrollment numbers they seek.
 
Students considering public universities in other states also need to understand what their costs will be, as the resident and non-resident tuition can differ drastically. Typically, schools with lower acceptance rates for out-of-state students have a higher price tag and offer little to no merit aid to those students. However, other public schools do offer substantial merit aid to out-of-state students - usually the schools who are trying to attract more non-residents. The University of Arizona and Texas Tech are among schools that are very transparent about the aid available to non-residents. See the table below for a comparison of in-state and out-of-state cost of attendance.

There is one other key factor to in-state and out of state cost that is important to know. The United States has various tuition reciprocity programs which allow students to attend out-of-state colleges within a specific region at a reduced tuition rate, often capped at a certain percentage above the in-state tuition. Families should do careful research as not all public schools within the designated region offer these tuition programs and some offer them for specific majors only.

Public universities offer many benefits which make them a popular choice for students and parents, but it’s important to be informed. Taking time to research will help you make informed decisions about your college list, and avoid surprises when the admissions decisions and tuition bills arrive. On My Way Consulting is available to help navigate your college journey. Reach out for a 15 min no-charge consultation today!