Pitt Surpasses Penn State as Most Expensive Public School

The University of Pittsburgh has bested Penn State, albeit in a rather dubious category.

According to the most recent U.S. Department of Education numbers, Pitt has surpassed Penn State as the most expensive public university in the country.

Pitt’s $16,132 in-state tuition is just slightly higher than Penn State’s $15,984, and both are more than double the national average of $7,135. The USDE estimates that the average cost per year to live and learn at Penn State is $31,854 for in-state students.

Of the 15 most expensive schools, Penn State and its branch campuses take up a whopping five spots. Illinois is the only other Big Ten school to appear in the top 25.

The university puts the blame squarely on waning state funding levels.

“The fact that two of Pennsylvania’s most prestigious institutions are tagged with the dubious honor of having high tuition definitely is a signal of the serious need for increased support,” says Penn State spokesperson Lisa Powers. “While our level funding from the state this year is greatly appreciated, we are falling behind other states in support and there are consequences.

“Unfortunately, one of the consequences is increased tuition. Those two funding sources are directly related. When one goes down, the other is impacted.”

A small tuition increase is expected to be approved at the board of trustees meeting next weekend. For now, though, Penn Staters are happy to shed at least one number one ranking.

Click HERE to see the cost breakdown of Penn State and other schools.