It has long been known that attending college can easily rack up a ridiculous cost, with many large public or private schools averaging annual tuition between $15,000 and $50,000.

So, students might be smart to turn to smaller, public state colleges for their postsecondary education, because the savings of doing so are quite substantial.

In Kansas, these smaller public colleges are Fort Hays State, Pittsburg State, Emporia State, and Washburn, and their tuitions come in as low as $4,000 a year.

“[Smaller schools] simply offer a valuable education at an affordable cost,” Elizabeth Walker, an admissions counselor at Fort Hays State, said.

Walker noted that some of the things that make schools like Fort Hays such a great value are small class sizes of under 30 students, easy communication between professors and students, internship opportunities, and free athletic events for the students.

While it may seem that smaller schools would have drawbacks compared to larger ones, they still offer many of the same degree programs, such as business, teacher education, nursing, and other arts-related programs.

They also offer many online degrees, and while it may be about $50 more per undergraduate credit hour than an on campus credit hour, those who wish to attend college from the comfort of home may find it to be a better option than traditional university.

In fact, according to Walker, Fort Hays State has about 2,000 more students enrolled in its online school than are attending school on campus.

Sports are another big part of these universities, with several having as much as one-third of the student body participating in athletics.

They do this by providing more recruiting opportunities, such as camps, showcases,  online recruiting questionnaires and lots of athletic scholarships that lead to more athletes choosing smaller public colleges over larger, well known ones.

And although they may compete at the NCAA Division 2 level, many of these sports programs have incredibly successful traditions and large followings similar to that of Division 1 schools.

For instance, Pittsburg State’s football team has won four national championships and is consistently ranked as one of the best game day college football atmospheres in the country.

It is traditions such as these, small town atmospheres, and the overall value that make smaller public colleges a better option for many, and their popularity can only going up among those looking for a place to get a degree.