Public colleges and universities often have lower tuition rates for in-state residents, making higher education more accessible and affordable. From an accessibility perspective, 60% of university students study less than 100 miles from their hometown and 72% of the students stay in-state. A scant 11% of the students go more than 500 miles from home, according to an Inside Higher Ed post. An American Council on Education study claims geography matters more than most policymakers know. The vast preponderance of universities located to provide accessibility are regional universities and are often located in places near “education deserts.”
Some interesting results follow when coupling affordability to accessibility. As family income increases, so does the median distance from home a student is willing to travel. On average, students travel twice as far from their homes to attend nonprofit research universities compared to public research universities: 160 miles in the case of private research universities and approximately 80 miles from public research universities. Regional public universities granting undergraduate and graduate degrees tend to draw students closer to home, an average of 18 miles according to an American Council on Education study. Students in the lowest quintile of their class tend to attend school close to home. In contrast, students with higher high school GPAs and SAT scores are willing to go greater distances to study and spend more on college, according to a study by Krista Mattern and Jeffrey Wyatt. Staying close to home can lead to significant savings on housing, transportation and relocation expenses, reducing the overall cost of obtaining a degree.
Students attending regional universities can reduce the costs of attendance and increase the likelihood of positive networking relationships by studying close to home. State government funding and support allow regional institutions to offer lower tuition rates to state residents, making higher education more accessible and affordable for a broader range of students, especially those from low- and middle-income families.
In-state tuition at public institutions can sometimes be one-quarter the cost of private colleges. According to Forbes, state support for higher education exceeded $126 billion last year, up over 10% from the previous year. National averages show that higher education is the fourth-largest expenditure category in state budgets, according to an Urban Institute study. While support from the state government in Texas is down 3% in the past year, the total state support is still second only to California. For the 2024–2025 academic year, the average in-state tuition at public four-year institutions is approximately $9,750, while out-of-state students pay around $28,386. This means out-of-state students pay nearly 191% more than in-state students. In 2024–2025, the average net price for in-state public university students is about $29,900, compared to $63,000 at private institutions, reports BestColleges.com. Moreover, over the past decade, the net price paid by students at public universities has decreased by 40%, from $4,140 to $2,480 annually, after adjusting for inflation.
In addition to lower tuition, public colleges often offer robust financial aid packages, scholarships and work-study opportunities designed to support students with financial need. Many institutions also provide flexible learning options such as community college pathways, online courses and night classes to accommodate non-traditional students, including working adults and those with family responsibilities. Plus, governing boards and universities are tightening their belts to increase affordability. Regional institutions often lead the pack in terms of “bang for the buck.”
Programs like the federal Pell Grant assist nearly 7 million students annually, primarily from families earning under $60,000. At West Texas A&M University, the Buff Promise program, which began in 2008, provides no-cost in-state tuition for undergraduate Texas residents who have an annual family income of $80,000 or less, the median income for our region.
Regional public colleges and universities are crucial in making higher education more accessible and affordable. WT is working diligently to contribute to lower costs and higher quality. Some think lower cost and higher quality are an oxymoron, but not me.
Walter V. Wendler is the President of West Texas A&M University. His weekly columns, with hyperlinks, are available at https://walterwendler.com/.
