We live in a world that demands you have an education. It doesn’t matter that you won’t utilize half of what you learned in college, will most likely graduate with a ridiculous amount of debt only to land in a job that pays pennies or do not wish to go to school, anyway. You pretty much have to attend a post-secondary institution of some sort for a small chance at success.

But despite the many drawbacks to obtaining a degree, the rewards are plentiful, and according to Scholarship Owl, you can attend an institution of higher learning without breaking the bank.

In fact, the educational resource site argues that some of the most affordable institutions offer the best curricula.

Per data published by Scholarship Owl,  below is a list of the cheapest four-year public colleges and universities by state.

Arizona

Arizona State University Skysong: $8,503

Alaska

University of Alaska Fairbanks: $5,246

Alabama

Jacksonville State University: $7,092

Arkansas

University of Arkansas-Fort Smith: $4,727

California

California State University-Monterey Bay: $5,963

Colorado

Colorado Mountain College: $1,548

Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University: $8,877

Delaware

Delaware State University: $7,336

Florida

Palm Beach State University: $2,378

Georgia

Georgia Highlands College: $2,595

Hawaii

University of Hawaii Maui College: $2,862

Idaho

Idaho State University: $6,566

Illinois

Northeastern Illinois University: $8,868

Indiana

Vincennes University: $5,174

Iowa 

Iowa State University: $7,731

Kansas

Fort Hays State University: $4,469

Kentucky

Murray State University: $7,392

Louisiana

Southern University at New Orleans: $5,218

Maine

University of Maine at Presque Isle: $7,300

Maryland

Coppin State University: $6,624

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Maritime University: $7,250

Michigan

Northwestern Michigan College: $3,017

Minnesota

Metropolitan State University: $6,642

Mississippi

Mississippi Valley State University: $5,916

Missouri

Harris-Stowe University: $5,210

Montana

The University of Montana-Western: $4, 761

Nebraska

Wayne State College: $5,604

Nevada

College of Southern Nevada: $2,700

New Hampshire

Granite State College: $7,065

New Jersey

Thomas Edison State College: $5,871

New Mexico

Navajo Technical University: $3,400

New York

CUNY Medger Evers College: $6,332

North Carolina

Elizabeth City State University $4,498

North Dakota

Bismarck State College: $3,520

Ohio

Ohio University: $4,872

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma City): $2,859

Oregon

Eastern Oregon University: $7,440

Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania: $8,914

Rhode Island

Rhode Island College: $7,602

South Carolina

University of South Carolina (Beaufort): $9,404

South Dakota

Dakota State University: $7,506

Tennessee

Tennessee State University $6,930

Texas

Brazosport College: $2,295

Utah

Snow College: $3,388

Vermont

Johnson State College: $10,604

Virginia

Norfolk State University: $7,552

Washington

Olympic College: $3,720

Washington, D.C.

University of the District of Columbia: $5,251

West Virginia

West Virginia University at Parkersburg: $2,928

Wisconsin

Madison Area Technical College: $4,133

Wyoming

University of Wyoming: $4,646