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�.
Average total tuition, fees, room and board rates charged for full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting institutions, by type and control of institution: Selected years, 1981� to 2011� | ||||||
Year and control of institution | Constant 2011� dollars1 | Current dollars | All institutions | 4-year institutions | 2-year institutions | All institutions | 4-year institutions | 2-year institutions |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
All institutions | ||||||
1981� | $8,438 | $9,554 | $5,986 | $3,489 | $3,951 | $2,476 |
1991� | 11,653 | 13,564 | 6,738 | 7,077 | 8,238 | 4,092 |
2001� | 14,533 | 17,418 | 7,302 | 11,380 | 13,639 | 5,718 |
2002� | 15,012 | 18,043 | 7,813 | 12,014 | 14,439 | 6,252 |
2003� | 15,840 | 18,961 | 8,199 | 12,953 | 15,505 | 6,705 |
2004� | 16,375 | 19,599 | 8,423 | 13,793 | 16,510 | 7,095 |
2005� | 16,735 | 19,957 | 8,275 | 14,634 | 17,451 | 7,236 |
2006� | 17,260 | 20,591 | 8,323 | 15,483 | 18,471 | 7,466 |
2007� | 17,447 | 20,813 | 8,210 | 16,231 | 19,363 | 7,637 |
2008� | 18,120 | 21,636 | 8,733 | 17,092 | 20,409 | 8,238 |
2009� | 18,531 | 22,147 | 8,959 | 17,649 | 21,093 | 8,533 |
2010� | 19,039 | 22,740 | 9,170 | 18,497 | 22,092 | 8,909 |
2011� | 19,339 | 23,066 | 9,308 | 19,339 | 23,066 | 9,308 |
Public institutions | ||||||
1981� | $6,439 | $6,942 | $5,378 | $2,663 | $2,871 | $2,224 |
1991� | 8,461 | 9,374 | 5,965 | 5,138 | 5,693 | 3,623 |
2001� | 10,244 | 11,744 | 6,561 | 8,022 | 9,196 | 5,137 |
2002� | 10,624 | 12,230 | 7,000 | 8,502 | 9,787 | 5,601 |
2003� | 11,308 | 13,053 | 7,352 | 9,247 | 10,674 | 6,012 |
2004� | 11,710 | 13,564 | 7,568 | 9,864 | 11,426 | 6,375 |
2005� | 11,955 | 13,847 | 7,424 | 10,454 | 12,108 | 6,492 | 2006� | 12,317 | 14,266 | 7,597 | 11,049 | 12,797 | 6,815 | 2007� | 12,440 | 14,435 | 7,498 | 11,573 | 13,429 | 6,975 | 2008� | 12,993 | 15,119 | 8,023 | 12,256 | 14,262 | 7,568 | 2009� | 13,443 | 15,764 | 8,088 | 12,804 | 15,014 | 7,703 | 2010� | 13,961 | 16,384 | 8,321 | 13,564 | 15,918 | 8,085 | 2011� | 14,292 | 16,789 | 8,561 | 14,292 | 16,789 | 8,561 |
Private not-for-profit and for-profit institutions | ||||||
1981� | $14,909 | $15,306 | $11,477 | $6,166 | $6,330 | $4,746 |
1991� | 22,874 | 23,476 | 15,860 | 13,892 | 14,258 | 9,632 |
2001� | 28,624 | 29,240 | 20,210 | 22,413 | 22,896 | 15,825 |
2002� | 29,166 | 29,725 | 22,185 | 22,413 | 22,896 | 15,825 |
2003� | 30,112 | 30,657 | 23,917 | 24,624 | 25,070 | 19,558 |
2004� | 30,648 | 31,174 | 24,096 | 25,817 | 26,260 | 20,297 |
2005� | 30,771 | 31,257 | 24,447 | 26,908 | 27,333 | 21,404 | 2006� | 31,703 | 32,237 | 22,611 | 28,439 | 28,919 | 20,284 | 2007� | 31,998 | 32,491 | 23,310 | 29,767 | 30,226 | 21,685 | 2008� | 32,656 | 33,154 | 24,093 | 30,804 | 31,273 | 22,726 | 2009� | 32,574 | 33,061 | 25,706 | 31,023 | 31,488 | 24,483 | 2010� | 32,964 | 33,572 | 24,570 | 32,026 | 32,617 | 23,871 | 2011� | 33,047 | 33,716 | 23,447 | 33,047 | 33,716 | 23,447 |
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.
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