State-by-state rules

Residency rules, decoded

Every state writes its own rules for in-state tuition, and every university reads them a little differently. We researched all 50. Hover any state for the short version, or click through for the full guide.

Alabama. Hard. Click for the full guide. Alaska. Easy. Click for the full guide. Arizona. Medium. Click for the full guide. Arkansas. InstateMe operates here. Click for the full guide. California. Hard. Click for the full guide. Colorado. Hard. Click for the full guide. Connecticut. Medium. Click for the full guide. Delaware. Hard. Click for the full guide. Florida. Medium. Click for the full guide. Georgia. Medium. Click for the full guide. Hawaii. Hard. Click for the full guide. Idaho. Medium. Click for the full guide. Illinois. Hard. Click for the full guide. Indiana. Medium. Click for the full guide. Iowa. Hard. Click for the full guide. Kansas. Medium. Click for the full guide. Kentucky. Medium. Click for the full guide. Louisiana. Hard. Click for the full guide. Maine. Medium. Click for the full guide. Maryland. Medium. Click for the full guide. Massachusetts. Medium. Click for the full guide. Michigan. Hard. Click for the full guide. Minnesota. Hard. Click for the full guide. Mississippi. Hard. Click for the full guide. Missouri. Easy. Click for the full guide. Montana. Hard. Click for the full guide. Nebraska. Hard. Click for the full guide. Nevada. Medium. Click for the full guide. New Hampshire. Hard. Click for the full guide. New Jersey. Medium. Click for the full guide. New Mexico. Medium. Click for the full guide. New York. Medium. Click for the full guide. North Carolina. Medium. Click for the full guide. North Dakota. Easy. Click for the full guide. Ohio. Medium. Click for the full guide. Oklahoma. Medium. Click for the full guide. Oregon. Hard. Click for the full guide. Pennsylvania. Hard. Click for the full guide. Rhode Island. Hard. Click for the full guide. South Carolina. Medium. Click for the full guide. South Dakota. Hard. Click for the full guide. Tennessee. Hard. Click for the full guide. Texas. InstateMe operates here. Click for the full guide. Utah. InstateMe operates here. Click for the full guide. Vermont. Medium. Click for the full guide. Virginia. Medium. Click for the full guide. Washington. Medium. Click for the full guide. West Virginia. Medium. Click for the full guide. Wisconsin. Hard. Click for the full guide. Wyoming. Medium. Click for the full guide.
InstateMe operates here Expanding soon Easy Medium Hard

Difficulty describes a typical out-of-state undergraduate, based on each state's statute or board policy and its flagship university's published rules. Hard means a structural barrier, such as a residency clock that will not run while you are enrolled. Click any state for the full guide.

Every state

Find your state

Each guide covers the time requirement, what counts as proof of intent, financial independence, deadlines, and the exceptions that let some students qualify faster.

Where we operate

ArkansasInstateMe operates here · 6 moTexasInstateMe operates here · 12 moUtahInstateMe operates here · 12 mo

Expanding soon

NevadaMedium · 12 moNew MexicoMedium · 12 moNorth DakotaEasy · 12 moSouth DakotaHard · 12 mo

Every other state

AlabamaHard · 12 moAlaskaEasy · 12 moArizonaMedium · 12 moCaliforniaHard · 12 moColoradoHard · 12 moConnecticutMedium · 12 moDelawareHard · 12 moFloridaMedium · 12 moGeorgiaMedium · 12 moHawaiiHard · 12 moIdahoMedium · 12 moIllinoisHard · 12 moIndianaMedium · 12 moIowaHard · 12 moKansasMedium · 12 moKentuckyMedium · 12 moLouisianaHard · 12 moMaineMedium · 12 moMarylandMedium · 12 moMassachusettsMedium · 12 moMichiganHardMinnesotaHard · 12 moMississippiHard · 12 moMissouriEasy · 12 moMontanaHard · 12 moNebraskaHard · 12 moNew HampshireHard · 12 moNew JerseyMedium · 12 moNew YorkMedium · 12 moNorth CarolinaMedium · 12 moOhioMedium · 12 moOklahomaMedium · 12 moOregonHard · 12 moPennsylvaniaHard · 12 moRhode IslandHard · 12 moSouth CarolinaMedium · 12 moTennesseeHardVermontMedium · 12 moVirginiaMedium · 12 moWashingtonMedium · 12 moWest VirginiaMedium · 12 moWisconsinHard · 12 moWyomingMedium · 12 mo

How we rate difficulty. Every rating comes from the state’s own statute or board policy plus the flagship university’s published residency guidance, and each guide links its sources. Difficulty describes a typical out-of-state undergraduate. Military families, spouses of residents, and students in reciprocity programs often have an easier path than the rating suggests.

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