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Average Published and Net Costs at Public and Private Nonprofit Colleges, 1997-98 to 2017-18

Almanac 2018
August 19, 2018

Costs at four-year public institutions have risen faster than at their private counterparts, but students paying steeply discounted tuition and fees at a private nonprofit college will still pay more, on average, than they would if they paid full price at a public college. Meanwhile, net tuition and fees (what students actually pay) dropped considerably at two-year public institutions.


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Costs at four-year public institutions have risen faster than at their private counterparts, but students paying steeply discounted tuition and fees at a private nonprofit college will still pay more, on average, than they would if they paid full price at a public college. Meanwhile, net tuition and fees (what students actually pay) dropped considerably at two-year public institutions.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


4-year public institutions

Cost category1997-982017-1820-year
change
Published tuition and fees $4,740 $9,970 110.3%
Net tuition and fees $2,180 $4,140 89.9%
Published tuition, fees, room, and board $11,390 $20,770 82.4%
Net tuition, fees, room, and board $8,830 $14,940 69.2%

4-year private nonprofit institutions

Cost category1997-982017-1820-year
change
Published tuition and fees $21,020 $34,740 65.3%
Net tuition and fees $12,210 $14,530 19.0%
Published tuition, fees, room, and board $29,530 $46,950 59.0%
Net tuition, fees, room, and board $20,720 $26,740 29.1%

2-year public institutions

Cost category1997-982017-1820-year
change
Published tuition and fees $2,390 $3,570 49.4%
Net tuition and fees $620 -$330 -153.2%
Published tuition, fees, room, and board $9,490 $11,970 26.1%
Net tuition, fees, room, and board $7,720 $8,070 4.5%

Note: Tuition and fees are for full-time undergraduates in both sectors, and they represent in-state rates for public institutions. Figures for 1997-98 have been adjusted to 2017 dollars. Because information on grant aid for 2017-18 was not yet available when the table was prepared, in October 2017, the net price for 2017-18 was estimated based on 2016-17 financial aid. Military/veterans aid, which is awarded in large amounts to relatively few students, was excluded from the estimates of net price. 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. Two-year public colleges had a negative net tuition and fees because aid exceeded the cost of tuition and fees. Aid can be used for other education-related expenses like books, room and board, and transportation. More data are available here. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: “Annual Survey of Colleges: Trends in College Pricing 2017,” © 2017, the College Board. This material may not be copied, published, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.</small></p>

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A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in this Finance: Almanac 2018 package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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