26:["$","$L27",null,{"category":"$28","relatedArticles":[{"id":"cG9zdDo4MzIx","databaseId":8321,"postId":8321,"author":{"node":{"id":"dXNlcjoxMw==","databaseId":13,"userId":13,"avatar":{"url":"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1826688a555f97277500e9a066ca8435?s=96&d=mm&r=g","size":96,"__typename":"Avatar"},"description":"Dennis Sebayan is a freelance writer and business analyst. His expertise is in home buying, credit cards and retirement. He lives in Brooklyn. Dennis has a degree in English from the State University of New York at Buffalo.","additionalMeta":{"expertise":null,"__typename":"User_Additionalmeta"},"email":null,"firstName":"Dennis","fullName":"Dennis Sebayan","lastName":"Sebayan","name":"Dennis Sebayan","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":7,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"UserToPostConnection"},"slug":"dsebayan","__typename":"User"},"__typename":"NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge"},"categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTo1","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":5,"categoryId":5,"link":"https://smartasset.com/personal-finance/articles","name":"Personal Finance","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":165,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"personal-finance","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},{"id":"dGVybTo5MA==","children":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"CategoryToCategoryConnection"},"databaseId":90,"categoryId":90,"link":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/articles","name":"Student Loans","postCount":{"pageInfo":{"offsetPagination":{"total":52,"__typename":"OffsetPaginationPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnectionPageInfo"},"__typename":"CategoryToPostConnection"},"slug":"student-loans","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"}],"__typename":"PostToCategoryConnection"},"content":"$29","date":"2013-08-09T15:00:58","excerpt":"

High school graduation is a rite of passage and time for celebration. But unless you’re willing to witness a real life scene from 16 Candles, Weird Science or even worse, Project X, you’d do best hosting a project graduation party. Nowadays, schools across the country participate in some type of chaperoned, drug- and alcohol-free event, which typically on […]

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The scope of these events varies, depending on the school’s budget allocation and cost-per-ticket. But that doesn’t mean party planners need to skimp on the frills. The pleasure seekers at SmartAsset have compiled some ideas to help you load up on the fun on a budget.

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There are several highly affordable settings to have your project graduation

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School Facility: Point blank, your school facility can fulfill a number of the necessary requisites. It has an auditorium, schoolyard, gymnasium and numerous classrooms. Participants can easily be sectioned off into groups, where they can be supervised in closed quarters.
City Parks: For a reasonable fee, a city park can be rented for the duration of the night. Since the time for project graduation parties is off-hour, a park is highly accessible for private functions. One thing to beware of is the requirement for permits — such as for vending and sound — which can quickly rack up additional fees.
Community Centers: These facilities provide a slew of amenities at your disposal, making for a project graduation that fulfills needs across-the-board. Community Centers are highly affordable; some are free to rent. Don’t forget to consider a YMCA, YWCA or JCC, which are each viable options.

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Some alternative, which may be more expensive, include campgrounds, college campuses, and fully equipped entertainment centers, e.g. bowling alleys, amusement parks and movie theaters.

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What’s on the menu?

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Since this is an all-night affair, its important to make sure that one large meal is provided. Numerous snacks, and copious amounts of nonalcoholic beverages and bottled water, should also be on-hand. While potato chips and popcorn are easy choices, it is wise to also include healthy options. This can include fresh fruits, and vegetable and dip platters. For dinner, pizza is highly recommended since it can be highly reasonably inexpensive. It is a good idea to ask your local pizzeria for a deep discount, since the order will be high volume and for a school function. Another cheap option is to utilize hoagies or make-your-own buffet stations. If you will be hosting a breakfast, include milk, juice and a pancake breakfast.

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Now for the fun part, the activities

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1. Have a DJ-fueled dance party

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With today’s sounds comprising of high-octane beats, catchy riffs and fat grooves, a dance party featuring your favorite local DJ is a must. He or she will keep the people moving while providing a memorable soundtrack. A DJ can be had for several hundred bucks and usually can bring their own equipment, including loudspeakers. Just make sure the DJ has a wide range of hits — new and old — to keep the happy graduates smiling.

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2. Let them have karaoke to channel their inner Michael Jackson or Carrie Underwood

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There’s something about karaoke that builds camaraderie amongst folks, young and old alike. Whether it’s recounting your favorite tune or humiliating yourself amongst friends, this affordable activity — which can cost as little as $100 — has plenty of appeal. Moreover, the fun lasts as long as your music library is extensive. For an added touch, make audiovisual recordings of each karaoke session and sell them as novelty memorabilia from the event.

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3. Contests, contests, contests

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One way to bring a lot of people together is to give them contests with lots of prizes. Everybody loves to win, so consider drawings and competitions, which can be administered easily. All you need is a dedicated jury, some raffle tickets and prizes. To obtain awards on the cheap, consider soliciting local businesses who are interested in contributing to a benevolent, safe cause such as project graduation. Other inexpensive, yet valued prizes include school supplies for students’ first semester in college including school bags, padlocks and folders.

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4. Make sure to expend some energy through physical activity

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Part of selling the project graduation experience to a bunch of sober kids is the idea that you’re helping them to attain a natural high. It’s important to integrate some kind of exercise and physical activity early because that will help them to release endorphins. This is where the gymnasium and outdoors can come into play. Try wall climbing, Frisbee, relay races, laser tag, dance-offs and competitive sports. By the end of the long night, they will be exhausted, even cathartic.

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Party favors commemorate the night

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Favors are relegated as junk at the end of most events, but they can be valid keepsakes to memorialize the night. Here are a few affordable options.

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T-shirt printing: Bulk printing of t-shirts with the school logo or slogan from the project graduation party can be had for cheap. If you do an extensive search, you can find companies that will print for one dollar per piece with the right quantity.

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Sunglasses can also be purchased in bulk and printed with your school’s likeness and will be useful for the summer ahead.
Flash drives are also a safe bet. They are practical, can be purchased in bulk, and can even be personalized with images and music related to the event.
Goodie bags with school supplies can be made, which will not break the bank. For instance, you can include a pen, notepads, Post-its and a Sharpie.

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Some final fundraising ideas

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While this may not be the best option for all project graduations, it may be wise to enroll your committee as a 501(c)(3). This way, you can make the event and all of its expenses tax deductible.
You can also entice businesses to donate their products and services to your 501(c)(3), in exchange for an in-kind donation letter. This letter can be used as a tax deduction.
Visit your local Chamber of Commerce to request that businesses direct donations to your cause.
Contact local restaurant and fast food chains and convince them to donate food and beverages.

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Photo Credit: Sugar Activism, Photos by Priya, Frank Munari, hoàng khai nhan

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\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDo3NDI5NA==","databaseId":74294,"altText":"best states for higher education","date":"2018-02-20T10:30:58","fileSize":48875,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2018-02-20T10:30:58","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2018/02/photograph-of-rotunda-at-the-university-of-virginia-picture-id471034055.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2018-5-7","readable":"May 7, 2018"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/top-states-for-higher-education-2018-edition","metaDesc":"For the fourth year in a row, SmartAsset looked at data to determine the best states for higher education. We used metrics like cost, quality and others...","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":7,"title":"The Best States for Higher Education in 2018 - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"top-states-for-higher-education-2018-edition","status":"publish","title":"Top States for Higher Education – 2018 Edition","uri":"/student-loans/top-states-for-higher-education-2018-edition","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo1Nw==","databaseId":57,"userId":57,"avatar":"$32","description":"Derek Miller is a graduate of the University of Edinburgh where he studied economics. He is passionate about using data to help people make better financial decisions. Derek is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®) and a member of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. He is a data journalist whose expertise is in finding the stories within the numbers. Derek's writing has been featured on Yahoo, AOL and HuffPost. He believes the biggest financial mistake people make is waiting too late to save for retirement and missing out on the wonders of compounding interest. Derek lives in Brooklyn.","additionalMeta":"$33","email":null,"firstName":"Derek","fullName":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","lastName":"Miller, CEPF®","name":"Derek Miller, CEPF®","postCount":"$34","slug":"derek-miller-cepf","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo5MA==","children":"$37","databaseId":90,"categoryId":90,"link":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/articles","name":"Student Loans","postCount":52,"slug":"student-loans","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

It’s hard to overstate the value of an education. According to Census Bureau data from 2016, the average worker with a bachelor’s degree earns $51,600 per year. That is roughly $22,000 more than the average worker with a high school diploma earns and $30,000 more than a worker without a high school diploma earns. But as everyone knows, getting an education can be expensive and is getting increasingly so. From 2006 to 2016, the cost of college tuition and fees increased by 63%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Compounding that problem is the fact that many students take on massive amounts of student debt to pay for college, hindering their ability to save for retirement or buy a home. However, in some states, public colleges are still affordable and offer students excellent earning opportunities. Below we rank the best states for higher education.

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In order to come up with our rankings we looked at five factors. Specifically, we compared the states across student-to-faculty ratio, average net price, undergraduate graduation rate, in-state attendance rate and the 20-year return on investment. Check out our data and methodology below to see where we got our data and how we put it together.

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This is SmartAsset’s fourth annual study on the best states for a higher education. Read the 2017 study here.

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Key Findings

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Consistency – For the third year in a row, Virginia and California occupy the top two spots. Eight of last year’s top 10 also ranked in the top 10 this year.
Mixed bag – No one area dominates more than another. Some Northeast states, like New York and New Jersey, rank well, as do some Southern states like Virginia and North Carolina. California also gets an A grade while in the Midwest, Michigan secures a top 10 spot.

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1. Virginia

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This makes four years in a row in which Virginia was either the best or second-best state for higher education. Schools in this state have a graduation rate of 71%, or second-highest in our study, and offer their students great long-term value. Our data shows that schools in Virginia offer a 20-year average return on investment of $417,711, or fourth-most in the study.

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Attending college in Virginia is on the more expensive side, this state ranks in the bottom 10 for average net price.

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2. California

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California once again secured a spot among the top two. This state ranked well in all but one of our metrics. Schools here have the second-highest 20-year return on investment and the fifth-lowest average net price.

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However, for students who prefer an intimate class experience California may not have the best options. According to our data, California has a student-to-faculty ratio above 24, the highest in our study.

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3. Wyoming

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The Cowboy State takes third. This state ranks highly because of how many locals attend state colleges. Around 62% of high school graduates in Wyoming end up attending local 2-year or 4-year institutions. For that metric, Wyoming ranks 10th.

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Wyoming schools also have low student-to-faculty ratios. Its student-to-faculty ratio is 14, fifth-best in our study. With some improvement in the graduation rate (currently 55%), Wyoming might be able to climb into one of the top two spots.

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4. Iowa

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No public colleges do a better job at graduating its students than Iowa. Overall, 72% of students in public colleges in Iowa graduate, the highest rate in our study. Students tend to do well once they graduate, as well. The 20-year return on investment for graduates of public schools in Iowa is $369,400, ninth most in the country.

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5. North Carolina

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Once again North Carolina scores well in in higher education. Not only does North Carolina score well in this study, but this state contains many of the best community colleges in the country.

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On average, attending one of North Carolina’s public colleges is fairly affordable. The average net price for the 2015-2016 school year, according to The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, was $11,500. North Carolina ranks 12th in that metric. Most students who attend North Carolina public colleges graduate, according to our data. North Carolina public colleges and universities had an average graduation rate of just under 61%.

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6. Connecticut

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Connecticut ranked sixth this year, jumping half a dozen spots from last year. Public colleges and universities in this state have some of the lowest student-to-faculty ratios in the country. At 13.9 only three states have a lower student-to-faculty ratio than Connecticut. But perhaps more important is the graduation rate. Around 66% of students at public institutions in Connecticut graduate, the fourth-highest rate.

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Connecticut’s score is hurt by the fact that most graduates of Connecticut high school decide to go out of state for their higher education.

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The newfound money that many college graduates come into following their exodus from school can be daunting to manage. In turn, we’ve outlined the top financial advisor firms in Connecticut.

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7. New Jersey

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The Garden State takes the seventh spot. Public colleges and universities in New Jersey do a successful job graduating their students. Our data shows that the average New Jersey public institution has a graduation rate around 68%, the third-highest rate in our study.

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New Jersey schools also have a low student-to-faculty ratio and a better than average 20-year return on investment.

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8. Delaware

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Delaware secured another top 10 spot in this study. This makes four years running where the Delaware state university system was rated in the top 10.

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What makes attending Delaware state institutions so good for its students is the long-term value. According to our data, the average Delaware public college or university has a 20-year return on investment of $423,000. Combine that with Delaware having the seventh-lowest student-to-faculty ratio and it’s no surprise this state ranks so high.

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9. New York

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New York has some good all-around scores. The average public college or university has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15.7 and an average net price of just under $12,000. Both of those scores are in the top 20. New York has a graduation rate of 55% and 20-year return on investment of $356,000, also two scores which beat the majority of other states.

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In fact the state only has a below-average score in one metric: percent of high school graduates who attend an in-state public college or university.

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10. Michigan

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Our list ends in the Great Lake State. Overall Michigan gets a B+. This state’s public institutions seem to be well-loved by its high school graduates. According to our data, around 62% of Michigan high school graduates went on to attend one of Michigan’s 2-year or 4-year public colleges. While Michigan had no top 10 scores it also had no below-average grades.

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Data and Methodology

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To find the best states for higher education, SmartAsset looked at data for the following five metrics:

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Data for metrics were found using a weighted average of the schools in each state.

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We ranked each state in the five metrics. We then found each state’s average ranking, giving a double weighting to graduation rate. Using this average ranking we created our final score. Our score was graded on a curve with the top 15% of states getting an A and the bottom 15% getting an F.

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Tips for Managing Student Debt

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Deduct it from your taxes. While there was some talk of eliminating the student loan interest deduction the new Trump tax plan left it in place. This means you can deduct up to $2,500 in student loan interest payments from your taxable income.
Refinance. If you find yourself struggling to pay off your student debt, one option may be to refinance. If you refinance all your student loans it is possible to get access to lower rates or to extend the life of the loan to lower monthly costs.

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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com

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Photo credit: ©iStock.com/photohoo

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\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDoxOTM4OTA=","databaseId":193890,"altText":"Countries With Free College","date":"2023-04-02T02:03:36","fileSize":130358,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2023-04-02T02:03:36","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/08/Countries-With-Free-College-1-1.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2023-4-2","readable":"April 2, 2023"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/countries-with-free-college","metaDesc":"If the cost of tuition and fees at US colleges has you running scared, consider getting your degree abroad. There are several countries with free college.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":4,"title":"Countries With Free College - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"countries-with-free-college","status":"publish","title":"Countries with Free College","uri":"/student-loans/countries-with-free-college","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo1MA==","databaseId":50,"userId":50,"avatar":"$3b","description":"Amelia Josephson is a writer passionate about covering financial literacy topics. Her areas of expertise include retirement and home buying. Amelia's work has appeared across the web, including on AOL, CBS News and The Simple Dollar. She holds degrees from Columbia and Oxford. Originally from Alaska, Amelia now calls Brooklyn home.","additionalMeta":"$3c","email":null,"firstName":"Amelia","fullName":"Amelia Josephson","lastName":"Josephson","name":"Amelia Josephson","postCount":"$3d","slug":"amelia-josephson","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo5MA==","children":"$40","databaseId":90,"categoryId":90,"link":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/articles","name":"Student Loans","postCount":52,"slug":"student-loans","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

The rising cost of tuition and fees at US colleges has rendered college unaffordable for many families. The average US college student now graduates with over $35,000 in debt. If you want to avoid taking on student loans (or to avoid paying high tuition for your children), consider foreign universities. Here are some of the countries with free college for American students.

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Check out our student loan calculator.

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Try Iceland

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If you can handle the winters, Iceland is a great place to get a free college education at one of the country’s public universities. Icelandic is a notoriously tough language, though, so make sure the classes you sign up for are taught in English. Oh, and bring plenty of spending money. Living expenses in Iceland are high.

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Study in Scandinavia

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Scandinavia is a cluster of countries with free college. Sweden, Norway and Denmark all have free college, but there’s a catch. Only Sweden and Norway have free college for Americans. Want to study in Denmark as an American? You’ll need to pay tuition unless you’re on an exchange program or you have a tie to Denmark or the EU. Like Iceland, Sweden and Norway are expensive places to live. Budget accordingly.

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Fly to Finland

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If that picture of beautiful Helsinki isn’t tempting enough, consider the free tuition available at Finnish universities. Thousands of international students head to Finland each year to take advantage of the no-cost education at over a dozen universities. Finland also boasts an impressive roster of institutes of technology for the scientifically inclined.

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Calculate the cost of college.

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Head to Germany

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Germany is a particularly popular destination for American students who want a free college education. Whether you speak German or want to take classes in English you’ll find plenty of options. What if you fall in love with Germany and want to stay there after you graduate? The government probably wouldn’t object. Attracting skilled workers is a big part of the reason countries offer college courses in English.

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Slovenia

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Slovenia boasts castles, hiking, wine country and free college. It’s a less well-known option than Germany but it’s got a lot going for it. You can take classes in English, but you should probably learn how to pronounce the name of the capital, Ljubljana, before you go.

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France

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For a nominal fee of around 200 euros, you can study at one of France’s excellent public universities. Expect to pay more if you want to study medicine or engineering. Seeking a degree in France is a particularly common practice among graduate students. Some US colleges and universities even offer joint degrees with the prestigious Sciences Po in Paris.

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Don’t Forget About Brazil

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Brazil’s free higher education doesn’t get as much attention as its European counterparts. Americans who don’t speak Portuguese can go for the English-language offerings at Brazilian universities. Aside from minor registration fees you won’t pay for your education. Plus, your living expenses will likely be lower in Brazil than they would be in one of the European countries where college is free.

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The Takeaway

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These days, if you want to get an affordable college education you have to think outside the box. That could mean starting at community college and transferring, staying in-state for school, hustling to get scholarships and grants or even moving abroad for college. With each year that US tuition rises, the countries with free college look more appealing.

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Tips for Saving for College

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Photo credit: © iStock/powerofforever, © iStock/fotoVoyager, © iStock/sborisov

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\n","featuredImage":{"id":"cG9zdDo0NTIyNg==","databaseId":45226,"altText":"The Best States for Higher Education","date":"2016-02-05T14:25:09","fileSize":41131,"mimeType":"image/jpeg","modified":"2016-02-05T14:25:09","sourceUrl":"https://smartasset.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/02/iStock_000047182106_Medium.jpg","__typename":"MediaItem"},"modified":{"datetime":"2017-3-8","readable":"March 8, 2017"},"multipleBylinesByRole":{"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"writtenBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null,"hideAuthor":null,"__typename":"Post_Multiplebylinesbyrole"},"adTargetingOverrides":{"fieldGroupName":"adTargetingOverrides","pageGroupNewKey":null,"__typename":"Post_Adtargetingoverrides"},"seo":{"canonical":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/best-states-for-higher-education-2016","metaDesc":"The cost of college keeps rising, while graduation rates are less than 60% at many schools. But some states are doing higher education better than others.","metaKeywords":"","metaRobotsNofollow":"follow","metaRobotsNoindex":"index","readingTime":8,"title":"The Best States for Higher Education in 2016 - SmartAsset","__typename":"PostTypeSEO"},"slug":"best-states-for-higher-education-2016","status":"publish","title":"The Best States for Higher Education in 2016","uri":"/student-loans/best-states-for-higher-education-2016","tags":{"nodes":[],"__typename":"PostToTagConnection"},"__typename":"Post","adPageGroupOverride":null,"bylines":{"writtenBy":{"id":"dXNlcjo0OA==","databaseId":48,"userId":48,"avatar":"$44","description":"Nick Wallace studied Economics at the University of Washington. He enjoys getting people thinking about finances by looking a the numbers. Nick is a freelance journalist and data analyst living in Michigan. He still lends his economic and analytic expertise for SmartAsset's studies.","additionalMeta":"$45","email":null,"firstName":"Nick","fullName":"Nick Wallace","lastName":"Wallace","name":"Nick Wallace","postCount":"$46","slug":"nick-wallace","__typename":"User"},"editedBy":null,"reviewedBy":null,"factCheckedBy":null,"secondEditor":null},"category":{"id":"dGVybTo5MA==","children":"$49","databaseId":90,"categoryId":90,"link":"https://smartasset.com/student-loans/articles","name":"Student Loans","postCount":52,"slug":"student-loans","ancestors":null,"parent":null,"__typename":"Category"},"isModifiedBeforePublished":false,"contentBlocks":["

Higher education is always a big topic in election years. Candidates of all political stripes readily agree that our colleges and universities are a key driver of prosperity but that there are serious flaws with our current system. The most-discussed issue in higher education today is the rising cost of attendance at schools across the country, which has forced students to take on increasing sums of student loans. But there are other problems too, such as the 59% graduation rate for undergraduate students.

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This is the second annual version of SmartAsset’s study. Read the 2017 version here.

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While those issues certainly have a national flavor, however, their depth varies significantly between states. Take, for instance, the problem of cost. While the average net price at all public four-year colleges and universities was about $13,500 per year (in 2014-2015), in three states it was less than $10,000 and in nine states it was more than $15,000.

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This type of variance from one state to the next makes sense. After all, higher education is by and large a state issue (despite the attention it receives from politicians running for national office). Public colleges and universities are administered by state governments and a primary goal of most higher education systems is to educate state residents. So which states are doing the best job?

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Methodology

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To find the best states for higher education, SmartAsset collected data on four-year public universities and colleges in every U.S. state. Based on that data, we calculated averages of the following four metrics:

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Undergraduate graduation rate.
Student-faculty ratio.
Average net price.
20-year return on investment.

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These averages were weighted based on the total undergraduate enrollment of each school. So, for example, a school with double the enrollment will have twice the effect on the overall average.

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In addition to those four metrics, we also calculated the in-state attendance rate at each state. This is the number of first-time, in-state students in each state in 2014 as a percentage of the total number of high school graduates in 2014. For this metric, we also included two-year public colleges, as some states use these schools as stepping stones to four-year colleges.

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This number reflects each state’s effectiveness at educating its own residents, a primary goal of public higher education systems. It does not necessarily reflect the percentage of high schoolers who go directly to college, however, as some first-time, in-state residents may have taken time off after school.

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We ranked each state according to the above five factors (the data for all 50 states is shown in the table at the bottom of this article). We then averaged those rankings, giving full weight to the graduation rate in each state and half weight to all other metrics. Lastly, we assigned grades based on those averages.

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The top 15% of states received an A or A-, the next 15% received some form of a B, the next 40% received some form of C, the next 15% received some form of D and the last 15% received an F¹.

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Key Findings

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California sets the curve. After ranking sixth in last year’s analysis, the Golden State moves into the top spot this year.
Mid-Atlantic impresses. The higher education systems in Virginia, Delaware, North Carolina and New Jersey continue to outperform the rest of the country. Each received either an A or an A-minus in SmartAsset’s analysis. State average graduation rates in these states are well-above the national average.

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California

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There are about 600,000 undergraduate students enrolled in California’s public, four-year colleges and universities. Given the sheer scale of higher education in California, it’s all that much more impressive that the Golden State continues to provide some of the highest quality post-secondary education anywhere in not just the U.S. but in the world.

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California schools rank first in the U.S. for the return on investment its students receive. Over 20 year years, the average college grad in California can expect to earn $425,562 more than she would have without a degree.

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California also rated among the top ten for its graduation rate (63% across all of its many schools) and its average net price. Paying $10,220 per year after all non-loan financial aid, the average California student will not need to take out as big of a student loan as those in the public university systems of other states.

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Virginia

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The state of Virginia’s higher education system does two very important things very well. The first is that it graduates most of its students. The average graduation rate across Virginia’s public colleges and universities is 69.3%, second highest in the United States.

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By itself, handing out a lot of degrees does not necessarily mean that a state university system is doing a good job. Those degrees must represent something of value – a good education. Here too, Virginia excels. The average 20-year ROI for graduates of the state’s higher education system is $393,483, fourth highest in the U.S.

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Delaware

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Nearly three-quarters of students at Delaware’s two public universities – the University of Delaware and Delaware State University – graduate within six years. The state’s 73% graduation rate ranks first in the nation. Those students also do quite well after graduation, earning the nation’s third-highest return on investment at $406,096 over 20 years.

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One area where Delaware’s higher education system could stand to improve? Size. The two public universities and one public two-year college took on 4,631 in-state students in 2014. That is equal to just 52% of the state’s 2014 high school graduates, the 16^th lowest rate in the U.S. (The University of Delaware is currently undergoing a major expansion, but that is largely focused on research facilities, not students.)

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Iowa

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For the second year in a row, Iowa rates among the top five states for higher education. Each of Iowa’s three public universities has a graduation rate of at least 64%, higher than the national average. The largest school in the state (by enrollment) is Iowa State University, where the graduation rate is 69%. Graduates of ISU get a 20-year return on investment of $447,700, according to Payscale.

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Iowa’s universities also provide students with a particularly good environment for getting an education. Cedar Falls, Ames and Iowa City all rate among the top 25 college towns to live in.

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New Jersey

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Rutgers University is by far the largest public college or university in New Jersey. It is also one of the best public universities in the U.S. Its main campus in New Brunswick has a graduation rate of over 80%. What’s more, while many flagship universities across the country have been enrolling increasing numbers of out-of-state students, who pay a higher tuition, Rutgers continues to take the vast majority of its students from within the state of New Jersey – 83% in 2014.

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North Carolina

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North Carolina rated among the top ten states for both its graduation rate and its in-state attendance rate. In 2014, a little more than 91,000 students graduated from a North Carolina high school. That same year, a total 65,590 in-state, first-time students enrolled in North Carolina public university or college equal to about 71% of all high school graduates.

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That is reflective of the fact that North Carolina by and large does a good job of making college accessible to its high school graduates (though it does not necessarily mean that 71% of North Carolina high school graduates went on to college immediately after school).

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Wyoming

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With a population of less than 600,000, Wyoming is the smallest U.S. state. The University of Wyoming is the only public university or college in the state. The school matches a below-average net price with an above-average return on investment for graduates. The average net price for University of Wyoming students is $11,856, while graduates get an average return on investment of $383,500 over 20 years.

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Arizona

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The two largest public universities in Arizona are Arizona State University (Tempe) and the University of Arizona, each with more than 30,000 undergraduate students. Both rate quite well for the return on investment they give their students. According to Payscale, ASU students have a 20-year ROI of $398,700, while for University of Arizona students the ROI is $388,300.

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Michigan

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While the state of Michigan’s flagship university (the University of Michigan) has been increasingly admitting and enrolling out-of-state students in recent years, other state schools continue to primarily focus on in-state students.

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Aside from the U of M, no public university or college in Michigan enrolled less than 70% of its students from within the state in 2014. Many, such as Grand Valley State and Central Michigan, were over 90%. (At U of M, the rate was 55%.) That focus on in-state students means high school graduates in Michigan have more access to higher education.

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New York

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The Empire State has one of the largest higher education systems in the U.S., with total enrollment of more than 335,000. Nonetheless, college students in New York receive a high quality education. The state has one of the best student-faculty ratios in the country, with just under sixteen students for every faculty member. That ranks 8^th in the U.S.

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Questions about our study? Contact us at press@smartasset.com.

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1. Data on the graduation rate, the student faculty ratio, the average net price and the total enrollment comes from the IPEDS data center at the National Center for Education Statistics. The 20-year return on investment figures come from Payscale. Data on the number of high school graduates comes from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.

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