How should I compare the sticker prices of Arizona State and Brandeis University?

For a fair sticker-price comparison, use each school’s full annual cost of attendance for the same residency and housing assumptions, not tuition alone. Compare both schools using on-campus housing and a standard meal plan, then add the same categories of indirect expenses.

Include tuition and mandatory university fees first. Then include housing and food, books and course materials, personal expenses, transportation, and health insurance where applicable. Transportation deserves particular attention: an Arizona resident commuting to ASU may have a very different cost than a student flying to campus, and Brandeis students should account for travel to Waltham, Massachusetts, including breaks.

Do not count optional spending, such as a premium housing choice, extensive dining upgrades, club dues, parking, Greek-life costs, or personal shopping, as part of the core sticker-price comparison unless you expect to incur it at both schools. Also separate one-time costs, such as enrollment deposits, dorm setup, a computer, or orientation expenses, from recurring annual costs.

For an apples-to-apples estimate, compare one academic year of each school’s official cost-of-attendance budget under the same assumptions: same living arrangement, similar travel frequency, and no aid. After that, evaluate net price separately using each institution’s aid offer, because the higher published price is not necessarily the higher amount your family would actually pay.