[lzol]

State colleges really vary by state. I grew up in Pennsylvania and when I graduated, our in-state tuition was already the highest in the country at around 16k. Now it's nearly $23k a year just for tuition in PA [0]. I went to a private college with nearly quadruple the sticker price and was actually paying less than my peers who went to Pitt and Penn State.

You're right about the community college. That is absolutely a way to save money, but in states like PA, you'd still have to pay nearly $46k for tuition alone. That's not including housing or transportation costs. It's not as easy as "2 years at community college and then transfer to a state school" for everyone.

[0]http://www.collegecalc.org/colleges/pennsylvania/