Cost of Attending College in New Hampshire: Tuition and Living Costs
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 04, 2026 • US States & Cities
Part of the guide Cost of Attending College by State: Tuition and Living Costs Compared
In-state tuition and fees at New Hampshire's public four-year colleges run about $15,400-$19,700 a year, roughly double or more for out-of-state students, while a community college credit costs a fraction of that. Add another $14,000-$16,000 a year for on-campus housing and food at UNH, or budget for off-campus rent in the $1,300-$1,900 a month range near most campuses.
💵 UNH Durham (2025-26): $19,682 in-state, $40,844 out-of-state, tuition and fees
💵 Keene State (2026-27): $15,532 in-state, $28,200 out-of-state
💵 Plymouth State (2026-27): $15,444 in-state, $26,872 out-of-state
🎓 CCSNH community colleges (2026-27): $238 a credit in-state, $523 out-of-state
🏠 UNH on-campus double room plus meal plan (2026-27): about $15,000-$15,800 a year
Public four-year tuition and fees
New Hampshire's public universities publish tuition and mandatory fees together, and the gap between in-state and out-of-state pricing is large at every campus. The table below shows the most recently published rate at each school.
| School | Academic year | In-state (tuition + fees) | Out-of-state (tuition + fees) |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNH Durham | 2025-26 | $19,682 | $40,844 |
| Keene State College | 2026-27 | $15,532 | $28,200 |
| Plymouth State University | 2026-27 | $15,444 | $26,872 ($23,872 New England Regional) |
Source: UNH Student Accounts , Keene State College , Plymouth State University .
UNH's numbers are moving up. The USNH Board of Trustees approved a roughly 2.5 percent tuition increase for 2026-27 , taking UNH tuition alone to $16,304 in-state and $37,996 out-of-state, the second straight annual increase after six years of frozen in-state rates. Fee rates for that year were not published on UNH's site at the time of writing, so use the 2025-26 combined total above as your baseline and expect a similar small increase.
Community college tuition
The Community College System of New Hampshire charges by the credit for 2026-27: $238 for New Hampshire residents, $357 for New England regional students, and $523 for out-of-state and international students. At a typical full-time pace of 24 credits a year, that works out to about $5,712 a year in tuition for an in-state student, before program-specific fees, which vary by college. This is the cheapest route to a New Hampshire credential and a common first step before transferring into a USNH bachelor's program.
On-campus housing and food
UNH publishes its housing and meal plan rates separately from tuition. For 2026-27, a standard double room costs $9,410 a year, and meal plans range from $5,624 to $6,424 a year depending on the plan, according to UNH Student Accounts . Combined, that puts on-campus housing and food at roughly $15,000 to $15,800 a year at UNH Durham. Keene State and Plymouth State set their own housing and dining rates through their campus housing offices, so confirm current numbers directly with each school before you budget. Most CCSNH community college students commute or live off campus, since the system's campuses are built around local and regional students rather than residential life.
Off-campus living costs
If you live off campus, your biggest variable cost is rent. One-bedroom apartments near New Hampshire's college towns commonly run in the $1,300 to $1,900 a month range, with Manchester and Keene both reported in that band by multiple rental market trackers. Add utilities, groceries, and transportation on top of rent, and off-campus living can come out close to or above the on-campus housing and meal plan cost, depending on how many roommates you split with.
What else to budget for
Books and course materials: varies by major, higher for lab sciences, nursing, and engineering programs that require equipment or specialized texts.
Transportation: a car is useful but not required at UNH Durham, Plymouth State, or Keene State, all walkable campuses; CCSNH commuter campuses generally require a car or reliable transit access.
Personal expenses: laundry, phone, and everyday spending money add up over an academic year and are worth tracking against a monthly budget.
Bringing costs down
Two levers move New Hampshire's sticker price the most: qualifying for in-state tuition through New Hampshire residency, and applying for Pell-linked programs like UNH's Granite Guarantee, which covers full in-state tuition for eligible New Hampshire residents. If you live in another New England state, the NEBHE Tuition Break can bring your out-of-state rate down closer to the in-state number at UNH, Plymouth State, and Keene State without requiring a move.