Published tuition and fees have more than doubled at four-year public institutions since 1996-97, in constant dollars, but the average net tuition and fees (what students actually pay) have risen 61 percent. At four-year private nonprofit institutions, published tuition and fees have increased at a slower rate -— 68 percent over two decades — but those net costs have risen just 20 percent.
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4-year public institutions
| Published tuition and fees | $4,560 | $9,650 | 111.6% |
| Net tuition and fees | $2,340 | $3,770 | 61.1% |
| Published tuition, fees, room, and board | $10,950 | $20,090 | 83.5% |
| Net tuition, fees, room, and board | $8,730 | $14,210 | 62.8% |
4-year private nonprofit institutions
| Published tuition and fees | $19,920 | $33,480 | 68.1% |
| Net tuition and fees | $11,800 | $14,190 | 20.3% |
| Published tuition, fees, room, and board | $28,140 | $45,370 | 61.2% |
| Net tuition, fees, room, and board | $20,020 | $26,080 | 30.3% |
Note: Tuition and fees are for full-time undergraduate students in both sectors, and they represent in-state rates for public institutions. Figures for years before 2016-17 have been adjusted to 2016 dollars. Because information on grant aid for 2016-17 was not yet available when the table was prepared in October 2016, the net price for 2016-17 was estimated based on 2015-16 financial aid. Net price is the published price minus the grant aid that students receive. That aid includes federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, state grants, institutional grants, and private and employer grants. More data are available at trends.collegeboard.org/college-pricing.
Source: “Annual Survey of Colleges: Trends in College Pricing 2016,” © 2016, the College Board. This material may not be copied, published, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.