Tuition costs of colleges and universities

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

Response:

Average tuition and fees were higher in academic year 2020–21 than in academic year 2010–11 for first-time, full-time undergraduate students¹ at public,² private nonprofit, and private for-profit 4-year institutions (in constant 2020–21 dollars). At public 4-year institutions, average tuition and fees were $9,400 in 2020–21, about 10 percent higher than they were in 2010–11 ($8,500).³ At private nonprofit 4-year institutions, average tuition and fees were $37,600 in 2020–21, about 19 percent higher than they were in 2010–11 ($31,700). At private for-profit 4-year institutions, average tuition and fees were $18,200 in 2020–21, about 1 percent higher than they were in 2010–11 ($18,100).

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Average tuition and fees of degree-granting institutions for first-time, full-time undergraduate students, by level and control of institution: Academic years 2010–11 and 2020–21

NOTE: Data are for the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Tuition and fees at public institutions are the lower of either in-district or in-state tuition and fees. Excludes students who previously attended another postsecondary institution or who began their studies on a part-time basis. Data are weighted by the number of students at the institution who were awarded Title IV aid. Title IV aid includes grant aid, work-study aid, and loan aid. Constant dollars are based on the Consumer Price Index, prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, adjusted to an academic-year basis.

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At 2-year institutions, average tuition and fees were higher in 2020–21 than in 2010–11 for public and private nonprofit institutions, but lower for private for-profit institutions (in constant 2020–21 dollars). Specifically, average tuition and fees were 18 percent higher in academic year 2020–21 than in academic year 2010–11 at public 2-year institutions ($3,900 vs. $3,300) and 9 percent higher in 2020–21 than in 2010–11 at private nonprofit 2-year institutions ($18,000 vs. $16,500). In contrast, average tuition and fees were 5 percent lower in 2020–21 than in 2010–11 at private for-profit 2-year institutions ($15,800 vs. $16,600).

¹ Includes only students who are seeking a degree or certificate.
² Data for public institutions only include students who paid the in-district or in-state tuition and fees.
³ Data in this Fast Fact represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Price of Attending an Undergraduate Institution. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved July 20, 2022, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cua.

Related Tables and Figures:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2022, Digest of Education Statistics 2021, 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: Selected years, 1963–64 through 2020–21
  
• 2022, Digest of Education Statistics 2021, Table 330.40. Avg. total cost of attendance for first-time, full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by ctrl. & lvl. of institution, living arrangement, & component of student costs: Selected yrs., 2010–11 through 2020–21
  
• 2022, The Condition of Education 2022: Loans for Undergraduate Students
  
• 2022, The Condition of Education 2022: Postsecondary Institution Revenues
  
• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, 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: 2018–19 and 2019–20
  
• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Table 330.30. Average undergraduate tuition, fees, room, and board charges for full-time students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by percentile of charges and control and level of institution: Selected years, 2000–01 through 2019–20
  
• 2021, Digest of Education Statistics 2020, Table 330.50. Average and percentiles of graduate tuition and required fees in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control of institution: 1989–90 through 2019–20
  

Other Resources:  (Listed by Release Date)

• 2022, 2017–18 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, Administrative Collection (NPSAS:18-AC): First Look at Student Financial Aid Estimates for 2017–18
  
• 2022, College Affordability Views and College Enrollment
  
• 2022, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): IPEDS is a system of surveys designed to collect data from all primary providers of postsecondary education.
  
• 2022, IPEDS College Navigator
  
• 2022, National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) examines the characteristics of students in postsecondary education, with special focus on how they finance their education.
  
• 2021, Postsecondary Institutions and Cost of Attendance in 2020-21; Degrees and Other Awards Conferred: 2019-20, and 12-Month Enrollment: 2019-20
  
• 2019, Student Financing of Undergraduate Education in 2015–16: Income, Tuition, and Total Price
  
• 2018, What High Schoolers and Their Parents Know About Public 4-Year Tuition and Fees in Their State