American Colleges with Lowest Cost – Most high school students after graduation have the very important task of choosing the right college that will not only hone their skills and abilities but also set their future in the right direction.
Most American colleges are cognizant of this fact and do all they can to attract the best and brightest students; one of such ways is to lower the tuition fee for in-state residents so as to retain high-performing scholars in the state.
A few colleges have gone over and beyond in this regard and having done the research, we’ve compiled the 10 American colleges with lowest cost of attendance for residents.
American Colleges with Lowest Cost of Attendance for Residents
1. University of Arkansas at Monticello
UAM had its humble beginnings as an Agricultural & Mechanical College; even today, it’s still the only school in Arkansas to offer a degree in Forest Resources. UAM is not only magnanimous to its residents but also extends the same arm of generosity to its neighbors such as Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri and Tennessee, offering the same in-state tuition fee to their residents.
2. University of North Carolina at Pembroke
UNC-Pembroke offers over 40 bachelor degrees and 17 master degrees at a really affordable rate for its residents. Having started out as a small liberal arts university catering to the American Indian population in Pembroke, Robeson County, it has gradually evolved into a reputable institution with a growing diverse student population. Its’ motto is ‘where learning gets personal’ and boasts of classes taught exclusively by either professors or faculty instructors.
3. Missouri Southern State University
Established in 1937 as a junior college, it was upgraded to a state institution when residents of its county approved a bond to construct a larger campus in 1964. Courses offered in MSSU range from healthcare to information technology to education. In the spring of 2011, the university narrowly missed bring destroyed by a deadly tornado and its buildings were used as the headquarters for volunteer efforts in the community.
4. Eastern New Mexico University
ENMU is the newest instituted university in New Mexico and is a federally designated Hispanic-serving school. The curriculum is spread across the board and ranges from wildlife and fisheries to digital film-making. ENMU houses several well-stocked museums, including the Jackson Williamson Library which has one of the top science fiction collections in the world with over 30,000 volumes.
5. Southwestern Oklahoma State University
SWOSU is one of six regional universities of Oklahoma and is situated in the small town of Weatherford. Its college of pharmacy is widely acknowledged nationwide as one of the top pharmacy schools with value for money. Some notable alumni have passed through its grounds and include NASA engineer, John Aaron, who developed the electrical recovery sequence which saved the crew aboard the Apollo 13 mission.
6. Lincoln University
Originally opened in 1866 as a school to educate only black soldiers, it was expanded by the state of Missouri to accept non-military applicants several years later. It now accepts applications from all ethnicities but its grounds pays homage to its beginnings by erecting statues of military personnel in full gear.
7. Dickinson State University
DSU prides itself in being a hub of creative possibilities in a small town as shown in its motto; ‘Small community, Big opportunity’. A few years back though, the university was embroiled in enrollment controversies which saw a downgrading of its accreditation status but it has since bounced back and is now fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
8. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewis-Clark has one of the most eclectic curriculum on this list and has about 85 degrees on offer, ranging from justice studies to hospitality management. It started out as a much needed teachers’ training college in the 1890’s, churning out teachers that had real hands-on practical experience before being converted to an independent four-year college. It however, still adheres to its principle of extensive manual training of its students.
9. Montana State University Billings
Due to the mountainous terrain of Montana, MSU Billings is sited in a location that can only be termed as interesting, at the base of a rim-rock formation and this makes for a prime tourist location. MSU Billings has a host of degrees on offer and is the first choice for students with an eye for adventure.
10. Southern Arkansas University
In the beginning was a little district agricultural high school for Southwest Arkansas but the State Legislature had more lofty dreams for this little school and authorized the addition of two years of college work to the curricula. By 1951, the little school had blossomed into a four-year degree granting institution, wafting its fragrance all across the state of Arkansas. Now it has a truly diverse student body from over 40 American states and 41 countries.
