Tuition costs of colleges and universities

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

Response:
For the 2011� 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� and 2011�, 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� than in 2001�.

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抯 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� 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.