Pitt, Penn State Among Nation's Costliest Public Universities: Study

PITTSBURGH, PA — The University of Pittsburgh and Penn State's main campuses are among the nation's most expensive public universities, a new study has found.

Pitt's Oakland campus cost is $20,362 per year, according to Degreechoices.com. That's behind only William & Mary's $23,812. Penn State's State College location ranks eighth with a cost of $18,898 per year.

According to the website, the national average tuition cost at a public college or university is $8,406. That places Pitt $11,956 above the average.

Is the price worth it? Perhaps. According to the website, Pitt's graduation rate is 82 percent - 15 percent above the average for all universities in the country.

“Opting to study at a public university in your home state can be a great way to save money on tuition," a release from Degreechoices stated.

"Students who wish to attend a college that isn’t in their home state can end up paying more than double the tuition costs of their in-state counterparts. Even so, the cost of tuition at some public colleges may be higher than you might think, especially seeing as the cost of public universities in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 1980."

The top 10 costliest public universities, according to the website:

1. William & Mary: $23,812 per year.

2. Pitt, $20.362.

3. Virginia Military Institute: $19,670.

4. Colorado School of Mines: $19,538.

5. University of Virginia, main campus: $19,244.

6. University of Vermont: $19,002,'

7. University of New Hampshire, main campus: $18,962.

8. Penn State: $18,898.

9. University of Connecticut: $18,524.

10. New Jersey Institute of Technology: $18,016.