Question:
What are the trends in the cost of college education?
Response:
For the 2010� academic year, annual current dollar prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board were estimated to be $13,600 at public institutions, $36,300 at private not-for-profit institutions, and $23,500 at private for-profit institutions. Between 2000� and 2010�, prices for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at public institutions rose 42 percent, and prices at private not-for-profit institutions rose 31 percent, after adjustment for inflation. The inflation-adjusted price for undergraduate tuition, room, and board at private for-profit institutions was 5 percent higher in 2010� than in 2000�.
Total tuition, room and board rates charged for full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting institutions, by type and control of institution: Selected years, 1980� to 2010� | ||||||
Year and control of institution | Constant 2009� dollars1 | Current dollars | All institutions | 4-year institutions | 2-year institutions | All institutions | 4-year institutions | 2-year institutions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All institutions | ||||||
1980� | $7,759 | $8,756 | $5,580 | $3,101 | $3,499 | $2,230 |
1990� | 10,620 | 12,303 | 6,361 | 6,562 | 7,602 | 3,930 |
2000� | 13,393 | 15,996 | 6,766 | 10,820 | 12,922 | 5,466 |
2001� | 13,842 | 16,589 | 6,955 | 11,380 | 13,639 | 5,718 |
2002� | 14,298 | 17,185 | 7,441 | 12,014 | 14,439 | 6,252 |
2003� | 15,086 | 18,059 | 7,809 | 12,953 | 15,505 | 6,705 |
2004� | 15,595 | 18,666 | 8,022 | 13,793 | 16,510 | 7,095 |
2005� | 15,939 | 19,007 | 7,881 | 14,634 | 17,451 | 7,236 |
2006� | 16,438 | 19,611 | 7,926 | 15,483 | 18,471 | 7,466 |
2007� | 16,617 | 19,823 | 7,819 | 16,231 | 19,363 | 7,637 |
2008� | 17,257 | 20,606 | 8,318 | 17,092 | 20,409 | 8,238 |
2009� | 17,649 | 21,093 | 8,533 | 17,649 | 21,093 | 8,533 |
2010� | 18,133 | 21,657 | 8,734 | 18,497 | 22,092 | 8,909 |
Public institutions | ||||||
1980� | $5,938 | $6,381 | $5,072 | $2,373 | $2,550 | $2,027 |
1990� | 7,699 | 8,485 | 5,612 | 4,757 | 5,243 | 3,467 |
2000� | 9,390 | 10,711 | 5,990 | 7,586 | 8,653 | 4,839 |
2001� | 9,757 | 11,185 | 6,249 | 8,022 | 9,196 | 5,137 |
2002� | 10,118 | 11,648 | 6,666 | 8,502 | 9,787 | 5,601 |
2003� | 10,769 | 12,432 | 7,002 | 9,247 | 10,674 | 6,012 |
2004� | 11,153 | 12,918 | 7,208 | 9,864 | 11,426 | 6,375 |
2005� | 11,386 | 13,188 | 7,071 | 10,454 | 12,108 | 6,492 | 2006� | 11,731 | 13,587 | 7,235 | 11,049 | 12,797 | 6,815 | 2007� | 11,848 | 13,748 | 7,141 | 11,573 | 13,429 | 6,975 | 2008� | 12,375 | 14,400 | 7,641 | 12,256 | 14,262 | 7,568 | 2009� | 12,804 | 15,014 | 7,703 | 12,804 | 15,014 | 7,703 | 2010� | 13,297 | 15,605 | 7,925 | 13,564 | 15,918 | 8,085 |
Private not-for-profit and for-profit institutions | ||||||
1980� | $13,686 | $13,995 | $10,766 | $5,470 | $5,594 | $4,303 |
1990� | 20,894 | 21,423 | 15,055 | 12,910 | 13,237 | 9,302 |
2000� | 26,456 | 27,054 | 18,453 | 21,373 | 21,856 | 14,907 |
2001� | 27,261 | 27, 848 | 19,248 | 22,413 | 22,896 | 15,825 |
2002� | 22,778 | 28,310 | 21,129 | 23,340 | 23,787 | 17,753 |
2003� | 28,679 | 29,198 | 22,779 | 24,624 | 25,070 | 19,558 |
2004� | 29,189 | 29,690 | 22,949 | 25,817 | 26,260 | 20,297 |
2005� | 29,307 | 29,770 | 23,312 | 26,908 | 27,333 | 21,404 | 2006� | 30,194 | 30,703 | 21,535 | 28,439 | 28,919 | 20,284 | 2007� | 30,475 | 30,945 | 22,200 | 29,767 | 30,226 | 21,685 | 2008� | 31,102 | 31,576 | 22,946 | 30,804 | 31,273 | 22,726 | 2009� | 31,023 | 31,488 | 24,483 | 31,023 | 31,488 | 24,483 | 2010� | 31,395 | 31,975 | 23,401 | 32,026 | 32,617 | 23,871 |
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. (2012). Digest of Education Statistics, 2011 (NCES 2012-001), Table 349.
Related Tables and Figures: (Listed by Release Date)
Other Resources: (Listed by Release Date)