Cost of Attending College in Delaware: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir • Published Jun 27, 2026 • Updated Sep 20, 2026 • US States & Cities
A Delaware resident living on campus at the University of Delaware pays about $39,154 a year for 2026-27, against $65,884 for an out-of-state student. Delaware State University charges Delaware residents about $12,989 a year in tuition and fees, and Delaware Tech charges roughly $4,703 a year in-state.
| School | In-state tuition and fees | Out-of-state tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| University of Delaware | $18,290 | $45,020 |
| Delaware State University | $12,989 | $22,992 |
| Delaware Tech (full-time, per year) | ~$4,703 | ~$11,769 |
What Delaware's public colleges charge, 2026-27
Delaware's three public options sit at three different price points. University of Delaware costs the most and offers the widest range of majors, Delaware State University sits in the middle, and Delaware Technical Community College is the least expensive way to start.
University of Delaware
UD's 2026-27 published price for a Delaware resident living on campus in Newark is $39,154 a year, built from $15,740 in tuition, $2,550 in mandatory fees, $9,286 for housing, $7,328 for food, and $4,250 in estimated books, personal expenses, and transportation, according to UD's official in-state cost breakdown . Commuting instead of living on campus drops the total to about $27,210.
Out-of-state students pay $42,470 in tuition plus the same $2,550 in fees, for $45,020 in tuition and fees alone. Add housing, food, and other costs and the full published cost of attendance reaches $65,884 a year. Programs in Business, Engineering, Nursing, Music, and the Honors College carry extra differential charges on top of these base numbers.
Delaware State University
DSU's 2026-27 published rates charge Delaware residents $5,084.50 in tuition per semester, or $10,169 a year, with mandatory fees bringing the yearly total to $12,989. Out-of-state students pay $10,086 in tuition per semester, $20,172 a year, with fees pushing the full total to $22,992. Fees cover the student activity, student center, technology, and athletic charges, and a separate health insurance fee applies unless you show proof of your own coverage.
Delaware Technical Community College
Delaware Tech bills by the credit hour. For 2026-27, in-state students pay $156.75 per credit, or $2,351.25 a semester at full-time status of 15 credits, which works out to roughly $4,703 for a full academic year, per Delaware Tech's tuition and fee schedule . Out-of-state students pay $392.30 per credit, or about $11,769 a year at full-time status. Delaware Tech is the least expensive public option in the state by a wide margin.
Living costs beyond tuition
UD's own cost breakdown gives the clearest published picture of what a Delaware student spends beyond the classroom: about $16,614 a year for on-campus housing and food, plus another $4,250 for books, personal expenses, transportation, and loan fees. Commuter students at UD cut roughly $12,000 a year by dropping the housing and food package and covering those costs on their own, though commuting adds its own transportation and off-campus rent costs that vary by where you live.
Most Delaware Tech students commute, since none of its four campuses runs traditional dormitories, which keeps total cost of attendance close to the tuition and fee number above plus books, transportation, and personal expenses. DSU offers on-campus housing in Dover, and students there should budget separately for room and board on top of the tuition and fee figures shown here. Check each school's financial aid office for its current published room and board rate before you set your full-year budget.
Why the price gap is so wide
The gap between Delaware Tech and UD comes mostly from mission, not quality. Delaware Tech runs on a per-credit model built for part-time and working students, with no residence halls, athletics programs, or research infrastructure to fund through tuition. UD's price covers a full residential experience plus a large research operation, and DSU sits between the two, funding a smaller residential campus with a narrower program list than UD.
Published tuition rises most years at all three schools, so treat the 2026-27 figures here as a starting point rather than a fixed number for your entire enrollment. Every public college in Delaware also publishes a net price calculator, a federal requirement, which estimates your actual cost after typical financial aid based on your family's income. Run the calculator for each school you are considering before comparing sticker prices, since the gap between published and net cost varies a lot by income level.
Cutting your net cost
These are sticker prices before aid. Delaware's SEED Scholarship can bring Delaware Tech tuition to zero, the Inspire Scholarship covers all four years of DSU tuition, and First State Promise covers UD tuition and fees for families earning under $75,000 a year. File the FAFSA to find your real cost instead of budgeting off the published rate alone.
Timing matters too. Delaware Tech's per-credit pricing means part-time enrollment costs less in total but stretches a degree over more years, while UD and DSU charge a flat full-time rate whether you take 12 credits or 18, so loading up on credits within the full-time band does not raise your bill. Factor that into how you plan your course schedule at either four-year school.