Affordable Colleges in New Hampshire
All 19 colleges in New Hampshire, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is University of New Hampshire at Manchester at about $9,992 a year; the costliest here is Southern New Hampshire University at $36,708. A typical New Hampshire school on this list lands near $19,216.
Cheapest first, that means University of New Hampshire at Manchester, University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online and Lakes Region Community College. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
- Most Affordable Community Colleges in New Hampshire7 community colleges · from $13,124/yr
- Most Affordable Public Universities in New Hampshire5 public universities · from $9,992/yr
- Affordable Private Colleges in New Hampshire7 private colleges · from $26,972/yr
Every college in New Hampshire, cheapest first · 19
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- University of New Hampshire at Manchester
- University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online
- Lakes Region Community College
- Manchester Community College
- River Valley Community College
- White Mountains Community College
- Great Bay Community College
- Keene State College
- NHTI-Concord's Community College
- Plymouth State University
- Nashua Community College
- University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
- New England College
- Franklin Pierce University
- Colby-Sawyer College
- Rivier University
- Dartmouth College
- Saint Anselm College
- Southern New Hampshire University
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in New Hampshire?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is University of New Hampshire at Manchester at about $9,992 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in New Hampshire cost on average?
- Across the 19 colleges in New Hampshire that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $19,216 a year after aid, running from $9,992 to $36,708.
- Are community colleges cheaper in New Hampshire?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in New Hampshire has a net price around $15,474 a year, against about $27,154 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $11,680 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 11% to 49%, with a middle of about 28%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free