In-state vs Out-of-state tuition: a quick way to find this?

[robotclown]

Anyone know a quick and easy way to find the in-state vs out-of-state grad school tuition costs for a long list of schools?  Google is powerless to help me, and I really don't want to go to each school's individual website, search for the tuition costs (which are always buried somewhere), calculate the difference, sort them, etc, etc. 

I'm going to be using the GI bill, starting in 2-ish years.  Since it pays the in-state tuition rate, I don't care what the tuition rate is, just the difference between in-state and out-of-state.  Google can find the cheapest out-of-state rates for me, but that's not what I'm looking for.  5k i/s and 15k o/s is worse than 15k i/s and 20k o/s.  The GI bill calculator website only auto-loads undergrad rates, so it's also not helping. 

[galliver]

I would google "Graduate Tuition [School Name]" which should take you more directly to the registrar/bursar webpage. I don't think I would trust the values off an aggregator-type website. In part because in many schools, e.g. mine, the tuition depends on your department/major/program as well as when you are starting and the level (grad/ugrad). So basically it takes the human factor to pick *which* tuition rates you are interested in. To avoid subtracting and sorting I would set up a spreadsheet that subtracts automatically, and then sort once you put it all in.

I'll assume that you don't like the sound of your in-state school and don't want to move and establish residency elsewhere before applying (2 years is typically plenty to do that). What I'm really wondering is why not cut down the list based on other criteria (reputation of the program) before you sort on cost?

[robotclown]

I like the in-state schools, but fortune favors the prepared.  I'd like to have a list of backup choices in place.  I've got the list of schools that offer the program, but it's 217 schools long.  I'd like to sort out the prohibitively expensive ones first, then thin it further based on reputation. 

[galliver]

So, mostly to clarify: are they all state schools and they all offer the degree you are interested in?  Becasue I agree that 200+ schools is a lot to look up the tuition for, so I'm trying to think if there's a better way to cut some of the contenders...I thought "long list" was like 20 or 30.

[rmendpara]

collegeboard.org

[galliver]

collegeboard.org

Provides information about undergrad tuition and fees.

[robotclown]

Well, I can cut all the private schools right off the bat, because their tuition is crazy high, and all the Ivy leagues and things I'm not going to get into.  That should reduce the list somewhat.  I was looking for an aggregator-type site to give me a ballpark, but I don't think it exists.

[galliver]

Well, I can cut all the private schools right off the bat, because their tuition is crazy high, and all the Ivy leagues and things I'm not going to get into.  That should reduce the list somewhat.  I was looking for an aggregator-type site to give me a ballpark, but I don't think it exists.

No, not for grad, it seems. I was hoping https://colleges.niche.com/ would have that feature but like CB it only features undergrad values for tuition. I was also about to suggest using that (ugrad values) to narrow it down (at my school the IS/OS difference is about 7k for both) but then I looked up UT Austin (random choice) and theirs is 10k ugrad and <5k grad difference. So, that probably doesn't hold for all schools.

[Daleth]

Well, I can cut all the private schools right off the bat, because their tuition is crazy high, and all the Ivy leagues and things I'm not going to get into.  That should reduce the list somewhat.  I was looking for an aggregator-type site to give me a ballpark, but I don't think it exists.

Private schools also don't generally have in-state vs out of state tuition. They charge everyone the same.

I don't think focusing on this is the best approach, though, especially for graduate degrees, because many schools offer stipends, tuition waivers etc. to grad students, which makes the tuition rates irrelevant or at best only partially relevant (to the extent the tuition waiver isn't 100%, the rates would then be relevant). Also, each school or at most each state will have different ways of determining who qualifies for in-state tuition.

Long story short, I think you need to trim your list of schools based on some other criteria (such as the school's reputation/ability to help you get the job you want, and whether the school is in an area where such jobs exist, and whether you have the GPA/test scores to get in--which you can find at the US News website). Then take that list and investigate the financing situation for grad students in the program you want at each school. I don't see any shortcuts through this process, but then again, it's July--I.e. you're a long way from starting your degree and so you have time to get this figured out.

[gillstone]

Three things to think of:

1. Reciprocity between states allowing someone from a neighboring state to attend at in-state rates.  For instance Montana students can attend schools in Washington, Idaho and I believe Oregon for in-state tuition and the same applies for students in those states.

2. Unlike undergrad where you took what aid they offered, you can negotiate your aid package for grad school.  For my degree at UMN (Go Gophers!) I was initially offered in-state rates and negotiated my way to a fellowship with full tuition and a stipend.  Award packages are also more diverse than they are for undergrad.  Work experience, recommendations, skills and measures besides GPA and GRE have a huge impact.

3. Private grad schools can have great packages too! And their fees tend to be much lower so when you get tuition covered you really get a huge chunk of costs covered whereas state universities tend to have higher semester fees so even full tuition can still leave on the hook for several thousand dollars.

Choose a set of schools that provide the program you want and work with their aid office to see your options.  Grad school programs are not all created equal and finding a school with a good program can make a big difference for your career. Good luck!

[Chranstronaut]

One thing I would also recommend (once you narrow the 200+ schools to more like 10-20 schools) is to look at the culture of the department and the academic advisers you might be paired with.  These will really change your experience there, and 2 years is a nice amount of time to comparison shop.  I think you might even be able to do this now to narrow down your list.  If you don't like a particular climate/state/student culture, you could narrow your list now on things other than tuition rate.

Can you get third party scholarships when using the GI bill?  I would think there are military related scholarships out there not associated with any school.