The first thing to know is that the costs of undergraduate study in the United States are different from school to school. Private colleges and universities generally cost more than public ones. Another thing to keep in mind is that not all students pay a school's "published price." Financial aid and scholarships may reduce the cost. Here are a few numbers for this school year from the College Board organization. The average published price for undergraduate study at a four-year public college is about seven thousand dollars. That is for students from "in state." Students from other states and international students often have to pay the highest prices. They pay an average of more than eighteen thousand dollars. And these prices are only for tuition and fees. Food, housing, books and supplies can add from ten to twelve thousand dollars a year.
American students often have to take out a loan to help pay for their education, so they try to save money by starting their education at a two-year public college, also known as a community college, where the average tuition this year is about two thousand five hundred dollars. A few American colleges provide free education, and others pay all first-year costs for their foreign students, but they are expected to pay one thousand dollars a year after that.
(Adapted from http://www.voanews.com)