State colleges can be cheaper, but they're not as cheap as they used to be in a lot of places. Many states cut back funding for their universities. "Overall st

State colleges can be cheaper, but they're not as cheap as they used to be in a lot of places. Many states cut back funding for their universities. "Overall state funding for public two- and four-year colleges in the school year ending in 2018 was more than $6.6 billion below what it was in 2008 just before the Great Recession fully took hold, after adjusting for inflation." "Between school years 2008 to 2018, after adjusting for inflation: * 41 states spent less per student. * On average, states spent $1,220, or 13 percent, less per student. * Per-student funding fell by more than 30 percent in six states: Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania." https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/state-higher-education-funding-cuts-have-pushed-costs-to-students https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/state-hig...