How should I compare Boston University and Florida State’s affordability as an out-of-state student?

Compare the two schools using each college’s official net price estimate and, once available, its actual financial-aid offer, not their published tuition figures. For an out-of-state student, FSU’s public-school price can be substantially higher than its in-state price, while BU’s private-school sticker price may be offset more meaningfully by institutional need-based aid. The affordable choice is the one with the lower four-year net cost after grants and scholarships, not the lower advertised cost.

Start with the same family financial information in both schools’ net price calculators.

For FSU, separate nonresident tuition and fees from any scholarship or tuition waiver you receive. As an out-of-state student, do not assume access to Florida resident programs such as Bright Futures.

Build a four-year spreadsheet using each school’s aid letter: billed costs (tuition, fees, housing, meal plan), grants and scholarships, expected student loan, and realistic indirect costs such as travel, books, health insurance, and personal expenses. Treat loans and work-study as ways to pay, not discounts.