Great Public Universities

A stellar education with world-renowned faculty and state-of-the-art facilities doesn't need to cost over $40,000 a year. These great public universities can save you tens of thousands a year. For example, if you're a North Carolina resident, the total price tag for Duke this past year was $45,795. Nearby, another excellent university -- the publicly funded University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -- costs $15,750. These prices include tuition, books, fees, room and board. Even the UNC out-of-state cost of $31,398 is significantly lower than the price of the country's top private universities.

Realize that students with limited financial resources may find that the expensive private universities cost no more than a public university. In fact, as I've discussed earlier, some of the wealthiest schools are offering a free education for students from low-income families.

If you attended a public university, please leave a comment and tell us about your experience.

photo of UNC by Marchmain05 / Wikimedia Commons