Top 10 U

Because public universities in the United States are partially funded by state tax dollars, in-state students who attend a public university pay significantly less in tuition fees compared to their out-of-state counterparts.
The amount of money spent by non-resident students in tuition fees often contribute the largest portion of that school's total funding. It is because of non-local students that a university is able to support itself.
Often, out-of-state students can establish state residency after they spend a certain amount of time living in the state. After they have established residency, the student can then switch to paying the lower tuition fees that state residents enjoy. For international students who are not citizens of the United States, this may not apply.
Tuition costs for out-of-state and international students can be almost three times as expensive as tuition for in-state residents.
Generally, private universities do not charge higher tuition prices as do their public counterparts. This is because private universities do not rely on state subsidies to fund their programs. Instead, private universities charge all students a tuition cost that is approximately ten times as expensive as the tuition of a private school. Because of this, private universities are composed of a very diverse body of students both domestic and foreign.
Because of the decreased differences in cost between a public and a private university, it may be more advantageous for an international student to attend a more prestigious, private university if possible.

The higher cost of an out-of-state tuition should not discourage aspiring students from attending their ideal school:

Federally funded financial aid programs can compensate for the substantial difference in cost.
Many public universities provide a vast array of scholarships specifically tailored to attracting out-of-state or international students.
Another alternative is an athletic scholarship, which although rare, are almost exclusively tailored to drawing in out-of-state students. These forms of scholarships usually compensate students for all tuition, room-and-board, and food costs that the students incurs during their studies.

To better illustrate the differences in tuition between an in-state and out-of-state student, here is a sample from various U.S. universities:

University of Washington, a public university

Resident: $3,495 per year
Non-resident: $11,517 per year

Washington State University, a public university

Resident: $3,396 per year
Non-resident: $10,554 per year

Harvard University, a private university

Resident: $21,342
Non-resident: $21,342
Notice that Harvard charges the same tuition for both residents and non-residents of Massachusetts.

University of Southern California, a private university

Both resident and non-resident: $21,374

The best advice for any student who wishes to go to a prestigious school, no matter how expensive it may initially seem, is to involve themselves in the most rigorous academic program while still in high school. Involvement in extra-curricular activities and sports increase the chances of being accepted into the school of choice, and it can make scholarships much easier for the student to attain. And what scholarships don't cover, federal financial aid can.

At Harvard University, an expensive private school, qualified students should not be discouraged from applying, because even "if your parents can afford to pay nothing, the minimum amount we expect from every student is a contribution of about $1,900 from summer earnings and one-third of your savings, if any," according to Harvard's official website.