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Published: Nov 17, 2015 2 min read
Students make their way between classes on the steps of Agricultural Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madsion on October 17, 2007.
Bryce Richter—U of Wisconsin-Madison

For students looking to venture farther from home during their college years, an out-of-state public college could be a perfect fit. Major state universities tend to have strong national alumni networks, top-notch sports programs, and wide-ranging academic offerings. Plus, many are actively recruiting more out-of-state students, who pay a higher tuition rate than in-state residents.

Unfortunately, many nationally known flagship state universities are notoriously hard to get into for out-of-staters. (We're looking at you, University of Texas-Austin and University of Florida.) But on average, the public colleges in Money's 2015 Best Colleges ranking enrolled about 18% of their student body from beyond their state borders. At most of the colleges on this list, out-of-state enrollment is more than double that.

These are the 10 highest-ranked public colleges where at least a third of students come from out of state (not counting foreign students). You'll also see the average time it takes for graduates to earn a degree at each school, and the estimated net price of a degree for non-residents, which accounts for out-of-state tuition and fees, room and board, average financial aid per student, and estimated inflation. (For in-state costs, check out each school's profile in the Money College Planner.)

One important note: While policies vary depending on the state, non-residents generally aren't eligible for the same need-based grants as in-state students. There are other scholarships and grants available to out-of-staters, but they tend to be reserved for the best applicants and will cover only a small slice of annual tuition.

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