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Where Student Enrollment Has Grown the Most in the Past 20 Years, By State and College (and How Tuition Has Changed)

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Expensive as it is, most American high school graduates pursue a college education these days. Over the 20 years between 2002 and 2021, the most recent data available, enrollment at American postsecondary institutions grew by 12.3%.

However, this figure varies widely depending on location. During the same period, 13 states saw a drop in enrollment, while the leading state, New Hampshire, saw enrollment nearly triple.

The latest LendingTree analysis looked at student enrollment by state and institution, including public and private colleges and universities. Across the board, costs are on the rise, having more than doubled over the decades studied.

On this page

Key findings
New Hampshire, Utah, Idaho have seen largest enrollment increases over 20 years
Alaska, Michigan, Illinois among 13 states with enrollment decreases over 20 years
Enrollment at 50 largest private colleges has grown at slightly faster pace than 50 largest public colleges — here’s a full list
Cost of tuition, fees, room and board has more than doubled
Public vs. private: 4 tips about choosing a college type
Methodology

Key findings

Enrollment at postsecondary institutions in New Hampshire nearly tripled between 2002 and 2021. The state saw the highest enrollment growth in this period — 189.6% — followed by Utah (118.0%) and Idaho (75.3%).
Alaska saw the most significant drop in enrollment in this period. The state was one of 13 where enrollment dropped between 2002 and 2021 — the latest year for which data was available. Alaska saw a 29.2% decline in this period, followed by Michigan (down 20.5%) and Illinois (down 13.0%).
In the 20 years we analyzed, the 50 largest private colleges saw enrollment grow slightly faster than the 50 largest public colleges. Between 2002 and 2021, enrollment at these private colleges grew 24.1%, versus 21.0% among the public colleges. Brigham Young University-Idaho registered the biggest private jump (314.0%), while the Lone Star College System in Texas saw the biggest public increase (116.6%).
The cost of tuition, fees, and room and board more than doubled for undergraduates at public and private four-year colleges in the same period. Costs jumped 131.9% at public schools — from $9,199 to $21,337 — and 101.6% at private schools — from $22,968 to $46,313. Kentucky saw the biggest public jump (202.8%), while Texas (174.3%) saw the biggest private jump between 2002 and 2021.

New Hampshire, Utah, Idaho have seen largest enrollment increases over 20 years

Between 2002 and 2021, college enrollment across the U.S. rose 12.3% overall. But there’s more to the story than a steady increase.

The years between 2002 and 2011 saw a growth spurt in enrollment — 26.5%, to be exact — but enrollment decreased by 11.2% in the latter half of the studied period from 2011 to 2021. This trend may highlight a tension: While a college education has become a basic prerequisite for most jobs, increasing costs have made it harder to attain affordably, especially in light of economic changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, the business of college is booming in some states. Over the period analyzed, New Hampshire saw a 189.6% increase in enrollment, with the bulk of it — 156.3% — happening more recently, between 2011 and 2021. With more than 15 baccalaureate institutions, the Granite State has plenty of options for students to explore, including its resident Ivy League school, Dartmouth. New Hampshire also enjoyed the lowest rise in the cost of private tuition, fees, and room and board of any U.S. state over the 20 years analyzed, making it a savvy choice for budget-conscious grads.

States with the biggest student enrollment increases

Rank	State	2002 enrollment	2021 enrollment	% change 2002 to 2021
1	New Hampshire	68,523	198,460	189.6%
2	Utah	178,932	390,017	118.0%
3	Idaho	72,072	126,334	75.3%

Source: LendingTree analysis of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data.

Utah and Idaho came in second and third, with enrollment increases of 118.0% and 75.3%, respectively. These figures likely reflect — though not dependent entirely upon — the increase in enrollment in the Brigham Young University system, including its Idaho campus.

Alaska, Michigan, Illinois among 13 states with enrollment decreases over 20 years

On the other end of the spectrum, 13 states saw a drop in enrollment over the studied period — four of which were in the double digits. The Last Frontier state led the charge. Having already been a last resort for college hopefuls — less than 30,000 students signed up for a subarctic education in 2002 — Alaska saw a 29.2% drop in enrollment over the 20 years studied. Curiously, enrollment increased during the first decade studied, rising 18.2% between 2002 and 2011 but falling sharply by 40.1% between 2011 and 2021.

States with the biggest student enrollment decreases

Rank	State	2002 enrollment	2021 enrollment	% change 2002 to 2021
1	Alaska	29,546	20,929	-40.1%
2	Michigan	605,835	481,573	-20.5%
3	Illinois	776,622	675,669	-13.0%

Source: LendingTree analysis of IPEDS data.

Michigan saw the second steepest drop in enrollment at 20.5%, and Illinois came in third with a 13.0% drop. All three states share brutal winters in common, so it’d be tempting to say weather is a deterrent to would-be students — but New Hampshire, Utah and Idaho get cold, too. Other factors are likely at play. For instance, Michigan’s population has aged as a whole in recent years — according to nonprofit news site Bridge Michigan — meaning there are fewer high school graduates.

Full rankings

States with the biggest student enrollment increases/decreases

Rank	State	2002 enrollment	2021 enrollment	% change 2002 to 2021
1	New Hampshire	68,523	198,460	189.6%
2	Utah	178,932	390,017	118.0%
3	Idaho	72,072	126,334	75.3%
4	Arizona	401,605	614,146	52.9%
5	West Virginia	93,723	132,280	41.1%
6	Georgia	397,604	544,354	36.9%
7	Texas	1,152,369	1,566,134	35.9%
8	Virginia	404,966	546,214	34.9%
9	Florida	792,079	1,008,186	27.3%
10	Indiana	342,064	429,699	25.6%
11	North Carolina	447,335	555,824	24.3%
12	Colorado	286,556	350,549	22.3%
13	Nevada	95,671	115,247	20.5%
14	Alabama	246,414	292,760	18.8%
15	Tennessee	261,899	307,796	17.5%
15	Minnesota	323,791	380,353	17.5%
17	South Carolina	202,007	235,086	16.4%
18	Arkansas	127,372	147,756	16.0%
19	Nebraska	116,737	133,501	14.4%
20	Delaware	49,228	56,251	14.3%
21	Kentucky	225,489	257,254	14.1%
22	Maryland	304,578	339,614	11.5%
23	North Dakota	45,800	50,968	11.3%
24	Massachusetts	431,224	478,479	11.0%
25	Vermont	36,537	40,415	10.6%
26	Ohio	587,996	646,311	9.9%
27	District of Columbia	91,014	99,435	9.3%
28	Maine	63,308	68,804	8.7%
29	Connecticut	171,558	185,634	8.2%
30	Mississippi	147,077	158,571	7.8%
31	South Dakota	47,751	51,265	7.4%
32	New Jersey	361,733	380,882	5.3%
33	Montana	45,111	47,053	4.3%
34	New York	1,112,216	1,153,083	3.7%
35	Louisiana	232,140	239,642	3.2%
36	Kansas	188,049	193,665	3.0%
37	Iowa	202,546	203,274	0.4%
38	California	2,474,024	2,482,339	0.3%
39	Pennsylvania	654,826	648,446	-1.0%
40	Missouri	348,146	336,590	-3.3%
41	Rhode Island	77,417	74,636	-3.6%
42	Oregon	204,565	196,066	-4.2%
42	Wisconsin	329,443	315,488	-4.2%
44	Washington	338,820	321,430	-5.1%
45	Wyoming	32,605	30,447	-6.6%
46	Oklahoma	198,423	183,768	-7.4%
47	Hawaii	65,368	60,076	-8.1%
48	New Mexico	120,997	107,098	-11.5%
49	Illinois	776,622	675,669	-13.0%
50	Michigan	605,835	481,573	-20.5%
51	Alaska	29,546	20,929	-29.2%

Source: LendingTree analysis of IPEDS data.

Enrollment at 50 largest private colleges has grown at slightly faster pace than 50 largest public colleges — here’s a full list

While it’s well documented that private schools tend to be even more expensive than public ones — at least at first glance — students still enroll in them with regularity. Over the last 20 years, the growth of private college enrollment (24.1%) has slightly edged out that of public school enrollment (21%) in a study of the 50 largest public and private schools as of 2002.

And although public schools may have a lower sticker price, many private schools offer robust financial aid packages — often including grants that don’t need to be repaid, LendingTree student loan expert Michael Kitchen says. “Aid packages can vary widely among schools, and the actual cost doesn’t always depend on whether it’s public or private,” he adds.

The private school that saw the highest increase in enrollment (an astronomical 314.0%) was Brigham Young University-Idaho, in the town of Rexburg. Along with the continued growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — which is 50% larger today than in 2000, according to church estimates via The Economist — the school gained baccalaureate status in 2001 after a lengthy history as a two-year institution known as Ricks College, which may account for the deluge in enrollments.

Overall, the top 10 list of private schools with the highest enrollment increases is peppered with Ivy League colleges and other prestigious institutions, including Cornell (103.6%), Johns Hopkins (78.2%), Columbia (64.1%) and Georgetown (62.8%). However, 13 private schools saw an enrollment dip over the same period. The most affected schools include Missouri’s Webster University, whose enrollment dipped by 60.7%, and Colorado’s Regis University, whose enrollment was slashed in half.

50 largest private colleges by enrollment change

Rank	School	State	2002 enrollment	2021 enrollment	% change 2002 to 2021
1	Brigham Young University-Idaho	ID	10,701	44,304	314.0%
2	Cornell University	NY	12,566	25,582	103.6%
3	Johns Hopkins University	MD	17,989	32,049	78.2%
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	NY	20,583	33,776	64.1%
5	Georgetown University	DC	12,856	20,935	62.8%
6	University of Southern California	CA	30,682	49,318	60.7%
7	New York University	NY	38,096	58,226	52.8%
8	Baylor University	TX	14,159	20,626	45.7%
9	University of Chicago	IL	13,177	18,832	42.9%
10	Long Island University	NY	10,644	15,191	42.7%
11	Drexel University	PA	16,345	23,216	42.0%
12	Duke University	NC	12,488	17,620	41.1%
13	American University	DC	11,052	14,852	34.4%
14	Loyola University Chicago	IL	13,061	17,498	34.0%
15	Northwestern University	IL	17,528	23,409	33.6%
16	Washington University in St. Louis	MO	12,767	16,973	32.9%
17	Vanderbilt University	TN	10,712	13,796	28.8%
18	Yale University	CT	11,378	14,567	28.0%
19	University of Miami	FL	14,978	19,096	27.5%
20	Emory University	GA	11,600	14,779	27.4%
21	Harvard University	MA	24,969	31,345	25.5%
22	Boston University	MA	28,982	36,104	24.6%
23	University of Pennsylvania	PA	22,769	28,038	23.1%
24	Northeastern University	MA	23,357	28,167	20.6%
25	Fordham University	NY	14,318	16,986	18.6%
26	Syracuse University	NY	18,604	21,772	17.0%
27	University of Notre Dame	IN	11,311	13,139	16.2%
28	Tulane University of Louisiana	LA	12,206	14,047	15.1%
29	George Washington University	DC	23,019	26,457	14.9%
30	Rochester Institute of Technology	NY	14,634	16,790	14.7%
30	Howard University	DC	10,517	12,065	14.7%
32	Southern Methodist University	TX	10,955	12,385	13.1%
33	Boston College	MA	14,111	15,577	10.4%
34	Brigham Young University	UT	32,408	34,811	7.4%
35	Villanova University	PA	10,473	10,870	3.8%
36	Marquette University	WI	11,042	11,320	2.5%
37	St. John's University-New York	NY	19,288	19,658	1.9%
38	Nova Southeastern University	FL	21,619	20,898	-3.3%
39	Stanford University	CA	18,297	17,680	-3.4%
40	Saint Louis University	MO	14,004	13,474	-3.8%
41	National University	CA	17,865	17,135	-4.1%
42	Pace University	NY	14,096	13,479	-4.4%
43	DePaul University	IL	23,227	21,670	-6.7%
44	Saint Leo University	FL	10,714	9,523	-11.1%
45	Excelsior College	NY	20,492	17,166	-16.2%
46	University of St. Thomas	MN	11,257	9,336	-17.1%
47	Hofstra University	NY	13,412	10,243	-23.6%
48	Touro College	NY	15,941	11,222	-29.6%
49	Regis University	CO	11,447	5,566	-51.4%
50	Webster University	MO	17,249	6,779	-60.7%

Source: LendingTree analysis of IPEDS data. Note: School names are listed based on IPEDS entries.

Although at a slightly lower overall rate than private colleges, public college enrollment has grown over the past two decades. Texas’s Lone Star College System leads the way with a 116.6% increase in enrollment. (Note: The system comprises seven full-sized campuses along with satellite locations. So this figure more accurately represents growth across a family of schools rather than an individual institution, but we included it based on IPEDS’ categorization.)

Other Southern schools also feature heavily in the top 10 list of public universities with the best enrollment growth rates. Three of the 10 are in Florida (University of Central Florida in Orlando at 82.6%, Florida International University in Miami at 69.9% and Valencia College in Orlando at 47.7%). And another two after the Lone Star College System are in Texas (Texas A&M University-College Station at 60.9% and University of North Texas in Denton at 40.6%). Nine public schools, however, saw decreased enrollment, with Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo seeing a drop of 38.6%.

50 largest public colleges by enrollment change

Rank	School	State	2002 enrollment	2021 enrollment	% change 2002 to 2021
1	Lone Star College System	TX	31,692	68,653	116.6%
2	University of Central Florida	FL	38,501	70,310	82.6%
3	Florida International University	FL	33,349	56,664	69.9%
4	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	AZ	47,359	77,881	64.4%
5	Texas A&M University-College Station	TX	45,083	72,530	60.9%
6	Valencia College	FL	29,515	43,599	47.7%
7	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	NJ	35,886	50,804	41.6%
8	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	IL	39,999	56,607	41.5%
9	University of North Texas	TX	30,183	42,441	40.6%
10	University of California-Davis	CA	29,087	40,050	37.7%
11	University of Houston	TX	34,443	47,031	36.5%
12	University of California-Berkeley	CA	33,145	45,036	35.9%
13	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	WA	39,882	52,434	31.5%
14	University of Arizona	AZ	36,847	48,274	31.0%
15	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	MI	38,972	50,278	29.0%
16	University of South Florida	FL	38,854	49,708	27.9%
17	California State University-Fullerton	CA	32,143	40,738	26.7%
18	Purdue University-Main Campus	IN	40,117	50,344	25.5%
19	Florida State University	FL	36,210	45,130	24.6%
20	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	NC	29,637	36,831	24.3%
21	Ohio State University-Main Campus	OH	49,676	61,677	24.2%
22	University of Colorado Boulder	CO	31,415	39,000	24.1%
23	University of California-Los Angeles	CA	37,599	46,116	22.7%
24	San Jose State University	CA	30,350	37,133	22.3%
25	University of Georgia	GA	32,941	40,118	21.8%
26	California State University-Northridge	CA	33,579	40,108	19.4%
27	University of Maryland-College Park	MD	34,801	41,272	18.6%
28	University of Florida	FL	47,373	55,781	17.7%
29	Indiana University-Bloomington	IN	38,903	45,328	16.5%
30	California State University-Long Beach	CA	34,566	40,190	16.3%
31	University of Wisconsin-Madison	WI	40,884	47,016	15.0%
32	California State University-Sacramento	CA	28,558	32,498	13.8%
33	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College	LA	32,228	35,912	11.4%
33	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	CO	29,255	32,586	11.4%
35	Michigan State University	MI	44,937	49,659	10.5%
36	Temple University	PA	32,359	35,626	10.1%
37	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	MN	48,677	52,376	7.6%
38	San Diego State University	CA	34,304	36,484	6.4%
39	Broward College	FL	30,496	30,947	1.5%
40	University of Iowa	IA	29,697	29,909	0.7%
41	Austin Community College District	TX	35,576	35,609	0.1%
42	The University of Texas at Austin	TX	52,261	51,991	-0.5%
43	Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis	IN	29,025	27,690	-4.6%
44	San Francisco State University	CA	28,378	26,899	-5.2%
45	College of Southern Nevada	NV	32,136	29,942	-6.8%
46	Miami Dade College	FL	54,926	44,002	-19.9%
47	Wayne State University	MI	31,167	24,919	-20.0%
48	Santa Ana College	CA	30,346	23,936	-21.1%
49	Santa Monica College	CA	29,691	23,408	-21.2%
50	Western Michigan University	MI	29,732	18,266	-38.6%

Source: LendingTree analysis of IPEDS data. Note: School names are listed based on IPEDS entries.

Cost of tuition, fees, room and board has more than doubled

In public and private universities, the overall cost of attending college has risen substantially over the past 20 years — with the increase in the cost of a public university education outstripping that of a private one.

In-state tuition, fees, and room and board at four-year public universities have risen 131.9%, on average, across the U.S. between 2002 and 2021, and 101.6% for four-year private colleges. In both cases, the average costs have more than doubled.

In only four states did the cost of a public university education not double. Even in those states, it was close, with costs increasing as much as 98.2% in Utah and over 96% in Maryland and Wyoming. Florida enjoyed the lowest cost increase — and still saw a rise of 85.9%.

Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates: 4-year public

Rank	State	Total cost 2002	Total cost 2021	% change 2002 to 2021
1	Kentucky	$7,370	$22,317	202.8%
2	Massachusetts	$9,370	$28,317	202.2%
3	Arizona	$8,222	$24,681	200.2%
4	Louisiana	$6,689	$20,031	199.5%
5	Virginia	$8,988	$25,761	186.6%
6	Hawaii	$7,987	$22,012	175.6%
7	Oklahoma	$6,296	$17,283	174.5%
8	Alabama	$7,654	$20,993	174.3%
9	Kansas	$6,987	$19,082	173.1%
10	Tennessee	$7,781	$20,639	165.2%
11	North Dakota	$6,843	$18,057	163.9%
12	Illinois	$10,194	$26,252	157.5%
13	Connecticut	$11,058	$28,425	157.1%
14	West Virginia	$7,625	$19,312	153.3%
15	Colorado	$8,808	$22,288	153.0%
16	Mississippi	$7,599	$19,221	152.9%
17	Nebraska	$7,731	$19,352	150.3%
18	Arkansas	$7,302	$18,262	150.1%
19	Oregon	$10,063	$24,517	143.6%
20	Minnesota	$9,080	$21,858	140.7%
21	Iowa	$8,253	$19,788	139.8%
22	Alaska	$9,258	$22,185	139.6%
23	New Hampshire	$12,348	$29,222	136.7%
24	Georgia	$7,915	$18,711	136.4%
25	Michigan	$10,565	$24,777	134.5%
26	California	$10,320	$24,015	132.7%
27	Rhode Island	$11,610	$26,946	132.1%
28	North Carolina	$7,667	$17,779	131.9%
29	Idaho	$7,163	$16,518	130.6%
30	South Carolina	$10,077	$23,181	130.0%
30	South Dakota	$7,469	$17,177	130.0%
32	Wisconsin	$7,786	$17,875	129.6%
33	Vermont	$13,450	$30,752	128.6%
34	Delaware	$10,899	$24,862	128.1%
35	Texas	$8,062	$18,325	127.3%
36	New Mexico	$7,587	$17,113	125.6%
37	New York	$10,777	$24,231	124.8%
38	Missouri	$8,672	$19,394	123.6%
39	New Jersey	$12,854	$28,335	120.4%
40	Pennsylvania	$11,861	$26,040	119.5%
41	Nevada	$8,570	$18,065	110.8%
42	Washington	$9,986	$21,027	110.6%
43	Indiana	$9,783	$20,572	110.3%
44	Ohio	$11,179	$22,860	104.5%
45	Montana	$8,309	$16,931	103.8%
46	Maine	$10,259	$20,677	101.5%
47	Utah	$7,393	$14,653	98.2%
48	Maryland	$11,385	$22,380	96.6%
49	Wyoming	$7,421	$14,584	96.5%
50	Florida	$8,361	$15,543	85.9%

Source: LendingTree analysis of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data. Notes: Data covers full-time students in degree-granting institutions; District of Columbia was excluded due to data availability.

While every state saw an increase in the cost of a private college education, the price hikes were not as severe. In 15 states, the increase was less than double, and in one — New Hampshire — the increase was in the single digits (9.9%).

Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates: 4-year private

Rank	State	Total cost 2002	Total cost 2021	% change 2002 to 2021
1	Texas	$18,185	$49,884	174.3%
2	Vermont	$23,205	$63,371	173.1%
3	Montana	$15,929	$41,908	163.1%
4	Michigan	$17,046	$41,790	145.2%
5	Oklahoma	$16,492	$39,822	141.5%
6	Louisiana	$23,050	$55,526	140.9%
7	Oregon	$24,428	$58,711	140.3%
8	Washington	$22,612	$54,047	139.0%
9	North Carolina	$21,024	$49,893	137.3%
10	Arkansas	$14,414	$33,614	133.2%
11	Kentucky	$15,710	$36,275	130.9%
12	Rhode Island	$27,192	$61,692	126.9%
13	Pennsylvania	$26,002	$58,356	124.4%
14	Maine	$24,132	$53,955	123.6%
15	Iowa	$20,341	$45,382	123.1%
16	South Dakota	$15,935	$35,229	121.1%
17	Wisconsin	$21,330	$47,063	120.6%
18	New York	$26,509	$58,423	120.4%
19	Massachusetts	$29,970	$65,784	119.5%
20	District of Columbia	$28,310	$61,912	118.7%
21	Illinois	$22,844	$49,783	117.9%
22	Tennessee	$19,143	$41,411	116.3%
23	Ohio	$22,134	$47,535	114.8%
24	Maryland	$27,108	$58,134	114.5%
25	Indiana	$22,545	$48,211	113.8%
26	Kansas	$16,653	$35,339	112.2%
27	New Jersey	$25,203	$52,442	108.1%
28	North Dakota	$11,840	$24,624	108.0%
29	Georgia	$21,124	$43,626	106.5%
29	Missouri	$18,787	$38,798	106.5%
31	California	$26,203	$53,680	104.9%
32	Minnesota	$22,420	$45,775	104.2%
33	South Carolina	$18,435	$37,629	104.1%
33	Nevada	$19,719	$40,241	104.1%
35	Connecticut	$29,065	$58,707	102.0%
36	Florida	$20,978	$41,843	99.5%
37	Mississippi	$14,203	$28,263	99.0%
38	Hawaii	$16,627	$32,948	98.2%
39	Nebraska	$18,837	$34,984	85.7%
40	Alabama	$15,269	$27,966	83.2%
41	Virginia	$19,541	$35,404	81.2%
42	Alaska	$15,675	$28,362	80.9%
43	New Mexico	$20,508	$36,770	79.3%
44	Utah	$8,992	$15,911	76.9%
45	Delaware	$14,698	$25,743	75.1%
46	Arizona	$14,510	$22,862	57.6%
47	Colorado	$24,351	$36,878	51.4%
48	Idaho	$10,163	$15,180	49.4%
49	West Virginia	$18,329	$22,303	21.7%
50	New Hampshire	$26,482	$29,103	9.9%

Source: LendingTree analysis of National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data. Note: Data covers full-time students in degree-granting institutions; District of Columbia was excluded due to data availability.

Public vs. private: 4 tips about choosing a college type

Choosing where to go to college is an emotional decision, and it’s one that can have major ramifications on your financial health, too. If you’re in the thick of deciding where to go, here are some factors to keep in mind as you consider the public versus private question.

You can learn how much they cost ahead of time. These days, many schools list tuition, fees, and room and board costs on their websites — but that still doesn’t give you insight into your total responsibility after financial aid. Fortunately, you can get that information. “If you’re in high school and applying to several different schools,” Kitchen says, “you can have your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data sent to all of them and then compare the financial aid award letters you get from each.” That way you can compare the actual costs, rather than the overall price tag. (It’s also why you shouldn’t let advertised costs keep you from applying — you don’t know the actual cost until you see that letter.)
Consider living at home. Room and board are one of the biggest expenses when it comes to college, so living at home with your family can help you save some serious dough if it’s an option that’s available to you. (Of course, living on or close to campus is also one of the best parts of the college experience for many students, so be sure to weigh your priorities and values.)
Apply for grants and scholarships. Yes, most students take out loans to go to college … but sources offer financial aid that doesn’t need to be paid back. Along with federal and private loans, consider applying for grants and scholarships. It can be time- and effort-consuming work, but it can also be a great way to dial down your total debt ahead of time.
Money isn’t everything. As important as financial factors are when it comes to choosing a college, no bargain is a bargain if you’re not getting what you want. “Beyond price,” Kitchen says, “make sure you’re going somewhere that can give you the experience and education you want.” That means considering your field of future study, if you know it, or your desire to live in a particular environment — be it the big city or the countryside. “A college search engine is a great way to shop around as you make this big decision,” Kitchen says.

Methodology

LendingTree researchers analyzed Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data to analyze fall enrollment trends between 2002 and 2021 at degree-granting postsecondary institutions.

We identified the states with the greatest enrollment increases and decreases between 2002 and 2021. We also ranked the 50 largest public and private universities (as of 2002) based on their growth between then and 2021.

Additionally, we analyzed the cost of tuition, fees and room and board at four-year public and private colleges between 2002 and 2021.

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