South Dakota Colleges Rank in Top Ten among Most Expensive in Nation

When it comes to most things cost-related, South Dakota is usually among the cheapest places in America.

But not when it comes to the price of a college education.

The online tutoring agency HeyTutor lists the average in-state tuition cost per year at South Dakota's six public universities -  the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota State in Brookings, Black Hills State in Spearfish, Dakota State in Madison, Northern State in Aberdeen, and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City - at $17,151, which is the tenth most expensive in the nation.

To get their numbers, the site used data from the National Center for Educational Statistics’ Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (NCES-IPEDS), as well as the State Higher Education Executive Officers.

STATES WITH THE MOST EXPENSIVE PUBLIC COLLEGES (Average net cost)

1. New Hampshire - $22,090
2. Pennsylvania - $21,130
3. Vermont - $18,591
4. Massachusetts - $18,416
5. South Carolina - $18,179
6. Ohio - $17,927
7. Colorado - $17,783
8. Virginia - $17,638
9. Connecticut - $17,320
10. South Dakota - $17,151

STATES WITH THE MOST AFFORDABLE PUBLIC COLLEGES (Average net cost)

1. West Virginia - $10,389
2. New Mexico - $10,877
3. Alaska - $11,340
4. New York - $11,393
5. Indiana - $11,755
6. Utah - $12,254
7. California - $12,336
8. North Carolina - $12,542
9. Washington - $12,830
10. Texas - $12,838

It might surprise you to see big states like New York, California, and Texas on the 'cheap' list. Those states benefit from a greater number of public universities, which keeps the average tuition price lower.