Tuition
In-state public flagships still cost ~5× less than top private schools
Georgia Tech in-state tuition: $10,512. Boston College: $72,180.
Tuition — Georgia Tech, Florida, UC San Diego, Michigan, Stanford, Boston College
Sticker tuition at top privates clusters around $65,000–$72,000. Public flagships, for in-state residents, sit at $10,000–$15,000. That's a ~5× spread that has held steady for years.
Caveat: financial aid changes the math. Top privates often meet 100% of demonstrated need, so out-of-pocket cost for low- and middle-income students can be lower than the sticker suggests. Publics typically don't.
Takeaway: For full-pay families the spread is real. For aid-eligible families, look at avg need-based grant — not sticker.
Latest year, all schools shown
| School | Year | Tuition |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College | 2024-25 | $72,180 |
| Stanford | 2018-19 | $52,857 |
| UC San Diego | 2024-25 | $14,934 |
| Georgia Tech | 2024-25 | $10,512 |