There are 10 colleges in Alaska - 5 public and 5 private schools. At Alaska colleges, the Cost of Attendance (COA), which includes tuition, mandatory fees, books and supplies, housing, meals, and personal expenses, has consistently increased over the last decade, driving up the overall cost of college.
The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially at Alaska colleges:
Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:
| Institution Type | 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) | 2025 Average Tuition & Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Public, In-State | 32.12% (from $6,059 to $8,005) | $8,005 |
| Public, Out-of-State | 19.15% (from $16,223 to $19,329) | $19,329 |
| Private Colleges | 13.92% (from $14,455 to $16,467) | $16,467 |
Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 19.15%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 19.08% over the same period.
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 28.68% when living on campus and 28.33% when living off campus at Alaska Colleges.
In private Alaska Colleges, the COA has increase by 26.50% (on-campus) and 26.47% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $37,070 when a student lives on campus and $43,107 when living off campus at Alaska Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Alaska Colleges over the past 10 years.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $18,645 | $28,809 | $27,041 | $23,427 | $33,591 | $31,823 |
| 2016-17 | $20,673 10.88% | $31,336 8.77% | $29,032 7.36% | $24,252 3.52% | $34,915 3.94% | $32,611 2.48% |
| 2017-18 | $21,171 2.41% | $31,919 1.86% | $29,616 2.01% | $24,648 1.63% | $35,396 1.38% | $33,093 1.48% |
| 2018-19 | $21,691 2.46% | $33,647 5.41% | $29,560 -0.19% | $24,922 1.11% | $36,878 4.19% | $32,791 -0.91% |
| 2019-20 | $22,070 1.75% | $35,344 5.04% | $29,888 1.11% | $25,234 1.25% | $38,508 4.42% | $33,052 0.80% |
| 2020-21 | $22,935 3.92% | $35,359 0.04% | $30,277 1.30% | $26,423 4.71% | $38,847 0.88% | $33,765 2.16% |
| 2021-22 | $23,151 0.94% | $35,443 0.24% | $31,120 2.78% | $26,599 0.67% | $38,891 0.11% | $34,568 2.38% |
| 2022-23 | $22,772 -1.64% | $32,823 -7.39% | $31,147 0.09% | $26,798 0.75% | $36,849 -5.25% | $35,173 1.75% |
| 2023-24 | $24,680 8.38% | $34,658 5.59% | $32,803 5.32% | $29,332 9.46% | $39,310 6.68% | $37,455 6.49% |
| 2024-25 | $25,746 4.32% | $37,070 6.96% | $34,208 4.28% | $31,783 8.36% | $43,107 9.66% | $40,245 7.45% |
For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Alaska Colleges is $9,401 for Alaska residents and $20,725 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $17,037.
For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $13,253 for Alaska residents and $24,617 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $21,170.
The tuition & fees has increased 19.15% for undergraduate programs and 19.08% for graduate programs at Alaska Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | |
| 2015-16 | $6,059 | $16,223 | $14,455 | $10,031 | $19,511 | $11,810 |
| 2016-17 | $6,446 6.39% | $17,109 5.46% | $14,805 2.42% | $10,567 5.34% | $20,488 5.01% | $12,110 2.54% |
| 2017-18 | $6,610 2.54% | $17,358 1.46% | $15,055 1.69% | $10,670 0.97% | $21,141 3.19% | $12,110 |
| 2018-19 | $7,311 10.61% | $19,267 11.00% | $15,180 0.83% | $11,210 5.06% | $22,264 5.31% | $12,110 |
| 2019-20 | $7,412 1.38% | $20,686 7.36% | $15,230 0.33% | $12,541 11.87% | $25,091 12.70% | $12,110 |
| 2020-21 | $7,888 6.42% | $20,312 -1.81% | $15,230 | $12,245 -2.36% | $24,600 -1.96% | $12,110 |
| 2021-22 | $7,861 -0.34% | $20,153 -0.78% | $15,830 3.94% | $12,474 1.87% | $24,842 0.98% | $12,110 |
| 2022-23 | $7,455 -5.16% | $17,506 -13.13% | $15,830 | $12,113 -2.89% | $24,119 -2.91% | $12,110 |
| 2023-24 | $7,722 3.58% | $17,700 1.11% | $15,845 0.09% | $12,125 0.10% | $24,084 -0.15% | $12,110 |
| 2024-25 | $8,005 3.66% | $19,329 9.20% | $16,467 3.93% | $11,869 -2.11% | $23,233 -3.53% | $20,760 71.43% |
For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $908 for Alaska Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,090 |
| 2016-17 | $1,171 7.43% |
| 2017-18 | $1,268 8.28% |
| 2018-19 | $1,240 -2.21% |
| 2019-20 | $1,240 |
| 2020-21 | $1,187 -4.27% |
| 2021-22 | $1,187 |
| 2022-23 | $1,067 -10.11% |
| 2023-24 | $1,087 1.87% |
| 2024-25 | $908 -16.47% |
For Alaska Colleges, the living have increased 20.42% when a student lives on campus facilities and 25.58% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | $11,496 | $13,146 |
| 2016-17 | $13,056 10.38% | $14,027 2.91% |
| 2017-18 | $13,293 3.54% | $14,391 0.79% |
| 2018-19 | $13,140 0.87% | $14,240 -1.41% |
| 2019-20 | $13,418 2.75% | $14,512 1.72% |
| 2020-21 | $13,860 2.99% | $15,159 3.47% |
| 2021-22 | $14,103 | $15,358 0.03% |
| 2022-23 | $14,250 1.89% | $15,600 5.50% |
| 2023-24 | $15,871 5.17% | $16,772 12.42% |
| 2024-25 | $16,833 3.01% | $17,935 10.39% |