The published tuition rate is what an institution charges before any financial aid is applied. It is the number colleges report annually to the U.S. Department of Education, and it is comparable across institutions within a state because all public two-year colleges use the same in-state/out-of-state distinction. The state-by-state guides below rank every community college by that published in-state rate, highest to lowest.
Tuition alone is the smallest piece of a real cost comparison for most students. Total cost of attendance — tuition plus required fees, books, supplies, and (where applicable) room and board — is usually several times the tuition figure, and federal Pell Grants plus state and institutional aid typically reduce the out-of-pocket number well below the published rate. See the Pell-grant share guide and each state's cost-and-aid guide for the fuller picture, and each college's own profile for the full cost of attendance.