Tuition costs of colleges and universities

Question:
What are the trends in the cost of college education?

Response:
For the 2011–12 academic year, annual current dollar prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $14,300 at public institutions, $37,800 at private nonprofit institutions, and $23,300 at private for-profit institutions. Between 2001–02 and 2011–12, prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at public institutions rose 40 percent, and prices at private nonprofit institutions rose 28 percent, after adjustment for inflation. The inflation-adjusted price for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at private for-profit institutions was 2 percent lower in 2011–12 than in 2001–02.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2013). Digest of Education Statistics, 2012 (NCES 2014-015), Chapter 3.

¹Constant dollars based on the Consumer Price Index, prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to a school-year basis.

NOTE: Data are for the entire academic year and are average total charges for full-time attendance. Tuition and fees were weighted by the number of full-time-equivalent undergarduates, but were not adjusted to reflect student residency. Room and board were based on full-time students. Data through 1995-96 are for institutions of higher education, while later data are for degree-granting institutions. Degree-granting institutions grant associate’s or higher degrees and participate in Title IV federal financial aid programs. The degree-granting classification is very similar to the earlier higher education classification, but it includes more 2-year colleges and excludes a few higher education institutions that did not grant degrees.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (2013). Digest of Education Statistics, 2012 (NCES 2014-015), Table 381.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2014, Digest of Education Statistics 2013, Table 330.10. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by level and control of institution: 1963-64 through 2012-13
  
• 2014, Digest of Education Statistics 2013, Table 330.20. Average undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates charged for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution and state or jurisdiction: 2011-12 and 2012-13
  
• 2014, Digest of Education Statistics 2013, Table 330.30. Average undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board rates for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by percentile, control, and level of institution: Selected years, 2000-01 through 2012-13
  
• 2014, Digest of Education Statistics 2013, Table 330.40. Average total cost of attendance for first-time, full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution, living arrangement, and component of student costs: 2009–10 through 2012-13
  
• 2014, Digest of Education Statistics 2013, Table 330.50. Average graduate tuition and required fees in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control of institution and percentile: 1989-90 through 2012-13
  
• 2013, Digest of Education Statistics 2012, Table 383. Undergraduate tuition and fees and room and board rates for full-time students in degree-granting institutions, by percentile of charges and control and level of institution: Selected years, 2000-01 through 2011-12
  
• 2013, The Condition of Education 2013: Expenses of Postsecondary Institutions
  
• 2013, The Condition of Education 2013: Postsecondary Revenues by Source
  
• 2013, The Condition of Education 2013: Price of Attending an Undergraduate Institution
  
• 2011, The Condition of Education 2011: Price of Graduate and First-Professional Attendance
  
• 2008, The Condition of Education 2008: Special Analysis 2008-Community Colleges
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2014, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): IPEDS is a system of surveys designed to collect data from all primary providers of postsecondary education.
  
• 2014, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) examines the characteristics of students in postsecondary education, with special focus on how they finance their education.