Though a well-trained, well-educated and skilled workforce is more important than ever, students seeking a higher education to prepare them for their careers are having a harder time being able to afford it.

Sure, many people still believe having a college degree will translate to higher earnings, but students are increasingly challenged to decide whether the expense of that education (or the long-term debt they may incur) is worth the risk. According to WalletHub, the cost of attending a four-year public college has risen by an average of 30% over the past 20 years.

And that cost eats up more potential earnings in some states than in others.

WalletHub took a look at how costly a college education is in each state (Alaska did not yield enough data to be part of the study). The ranking i

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