The average tuition at public universities in the United States (for in-state residents attending a public university in that state) is $8,983. However, there is wide variation in average tuition rates across states, from $4,646 in Wyoming to $14,712 in New Hampshire. But even the most expensive in-state tuition is still lower than the market rate, and therefore represents a price ceiling. Unlike traditional price ceilings, which create a shortage, states provide subsidies to public universities to offset the difference between the market rate and price ceiling.