How college costs have changed in the last 50 years
How college costs have changed in the last 50 years
For young adults, the one thing harder than getting accepted into their dream university is paying for it. College tuition costs have skyrocketed in recent decades. The average published price of a four-year school has when the oldest baby boomers were heading into their freshman year, taking inflation into account. The increased cost of higher education has significantly outpaced the growth of median family incomes and left students and their parents wondering: How do we pay for all of this?
For many, the answer has been student loans. A 2018 CNBC report found that by the time they put on their cap and gown. Even students who are awarded a generous amount of scholarships and financial aid for tuition may still rely , such as food and housing. According to the Federal Reserve's "Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2016鈥揗ay 2017," .
To find out how the price of higher education has changed over the last few decades, 麻豆原创 compiled a list of the cost of attending college every year from 1969 to 2018 using . The figures included the cost of tuition and fees, dormitory room, and board for both public and private colleges. The costs are adjusted for inflation to 2017鈥2018 dollars.
The data showed that the cost of attending college increased 146.59% at public universities and 156.67% at private universities from 1969 to 2018, after adjusting for inflation. No wonder concern among students and their parents.
Take a look at what's happened over the last 50 years to see how college costs have changed.
1969鈥1970
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,131 (2.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,354
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,426
--- Board: $3,351
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,807 (2.5% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,259
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,861
--- Board: $3,687
While college costs in the 1960s were significantly less than they are today, groups like the National Student Financial Aid Council had already started to form to help students come up with tuition dollars. The three-year-old organization became the . The organization has grown to .
1970鈥1971
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,282 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,459
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,505
--- Board: $3,318
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,205 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,658
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,899
--- Board: $3,648
In February 1970, Harvard University 鈥攁 first for the then-320-year-old institution. The annual cost to attend the Ivy League university would go up $200 to $2,600 by the fall of 1971.
1971鈥1972
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,471 (2.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,579
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,591
--- Board: $3,300
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,599 (2.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $11,048
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,941
--- Board: $3,610
Scholastically talented youth had a new opportunity to earn some much-needed college tuition dollars in 1971, when the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test The test qualified about of up to $1,500 a year for four years of tuition in the 1971鈥72 contest.
1972鈥1973
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,004 (6.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,913
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,761
--- Board: $3,330
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,918 (1.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $11,293
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,053
--- Board: $3,572
President Nixon signed . It prohibits colleges and universities that receive federal funds from thus creating new opportunities for women in higher education.
[Pictured: Senator Birch Bayh exercises with Title IX athletes at Purdue University, circa 1970s.]
1973鈥1974
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,494 (5.7% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,733
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,573
--- Board: $3,188
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,145 (4.3% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,880
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,847
--- Board: $3,418
Rising crime in big cities in the early 1970s started to create financial troubles at some urban universities. In 1973, to get out of debt.
1974鈥1975
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,889 (7.1% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,455
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,449
--- Board: $2,985
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,309 (4.9% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,206
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,773
--- Board: $3,329
In 1974, the of its public university system. State funding took a mostly downhill trajectory in the years to come. By the 2017鈥18 academic year, would come from state educational appropriations.
1975鈥1976
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,962 (0.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,426
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,469
--- Board: $3,067
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,414 (0.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,251
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,812
--- Board: $3,350
The City University of New York鈥檚 Open Admissions policy, which granted CUNY college admission to every high school graduate in New York City starting in the fall of 1970, had paid off with a more diverse pool of undergraduates. By 1975, were white, compared with 78% in 1969.
[Pictured: CUNY School of Medicine - Townsend Harris Hall.]
1976鈥1977
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,181 (2.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,607
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,502
--- Board: $3,072
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,813 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,713
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,754
--- Board: $3,346
The year 1976 brought a new opportunity for aspiring health professionals to get an education with the Health Professions Education Assistance Act. , some of which came with mandates that recipients work in a needy area for a period after graduation.
1977鈥1978
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,073 (1.3% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,594
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,501
--- Board: $2,979
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,797 (0.1% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,697
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,781
--- Board: $3,319
College admissions processes started to change at major universities in the mid-1970s. The year 1977 became a 鈥渃ritical date鈥 for Harvard University when a worked to make college acceptance more equitable for students of all genders. It previously had a student body with a ratio of just one woman to every four men.
1978鈥1979
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,769 (3.8% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,491
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,405
--- Board: $2,873
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,697 (0.6% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,714
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,757
--- Board: $3,225
The University of Chicago appointed Hanna Gray to . It was the first time a woman would lead a major university in the United States.
1979鈥1980
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,439 (4.2% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,357
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,318
--- Board: $2,764
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,021 (4% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,308
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,655
--- Board: $3,058
After many failed attempts to establish a Department of Education, efforts finally paid off in 1979, when that would establish a Cabinet-level department focused on students and learning. Forty years later, its budget included funds to help approximately .
1980鈥1981
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,305 (1.8% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,302
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,323
--- Board: $2,680
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,022 (0% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,360
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,637
--- Board: $3,025
The first-ever The event would shine a national spotlight on black colleges and universities.
1981鈥1982
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $7,569 (3.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,398
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,440
--- Board: $2,731
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,689 (4.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $10,845
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,738
--- Board: $3,106
The 1981鈥82 academic year marked a turning point when . They鈥檝e outpaced the guys in earning bachelor鈥檚 degrees every year since then.
1982鈥1983
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,080 (6.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,607
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,605
--- Board: $2,868
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $18,015 (7.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $11,727
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,987
--- Board: $3,301
In the early 1980s, scholars were analyzing exactly who was attending college. In 1982, they defined as those whose mothers and fathers had no post-secondary education experience.
1983鈥1984
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,369 (3.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,798
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,705
--- Board: $2,866
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $18,916 (5% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $12,416
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,118
--- Board: $3,382
"A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform," a 1983 report from the National Commission on Excellence in Education, It recommended that four-year colleges
1984鈥1985
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,637 (3.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $2,881
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,854
--- Board: $2,902
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $19,825 (4.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $13,034
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,345
--- Board: $3,446
In a landmark case in 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the private Grove City College must follow anti-discriminatory laws because its students . Rather than choosing to end its unfair practices, the college opted to sever ties with federal financial aid programs.
1985鈥1986
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $8,798 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,004
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,880
--- Board: $2,914
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $21,042 (6.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $13,956
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,550
--- Board: $3,536
In his first press conference after becoming secretary of education in 1985, William J. Bennett announced his support of President Reagan鈥檚 plan to He suggested that students who lost aid would need to consider
1986鈥1987
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,230 (4.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,153
--- Dormitory rooms: $2,950
--- Board: $3,126
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $22,395 (6.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $14,853
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,733
--- Board: $3,809
It allowed families in Michigan to at the current price of the state鈥檚 public universities.
[Pictured: University of Michigan Union on Central Campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.]
1987鈥1988
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,431 (2.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,293
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,019
--- Board: $3,119
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $22,831 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $15,242
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,770
--- Board: $3,819
The value of standardized tests like the SAT started to come under scrutiny around this time. Middlebury College in Vermont and New York鈥檚 Union College announced in 1987 that as part of their admissions processes.
[Pictured: Union College.]
1988鈥1989
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,578 (1.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,370
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,063
--- Board: $3,145
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $23,492 (2.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $15,809
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,815
--- Board: $3,868
Congress passed the Civil Rights Restoration Act in 1988. It to include all programs at colleges, universities, and other educational institutions that accept federal funds preventing discrimination based on sex.
[Pictured: President Ronald Reagan signs the bill commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday as a national holiday.]
1989鈥1990
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,722 (1.5% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,478
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,043
--- Board: $3,202
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $24,005 (2.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $16,408
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,781
--- Board: $3,816
Chinese university students made international headlines with their . After months of demonstrations, Chinese troops shot at the protestors, on June 4鈥5, 1989.
1990鈥1991
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $9,714 (0.1% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,498
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,069
--- Board: $3,146
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $24,526 (2.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $16,828
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,849
--- Board: $3,849
The federal government introduced new protections for people with disabilities with the . It re quired that public and private colleges increase their accessibility and
1991鈥1992
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $10,221 (5.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $3,800
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,204
--- Board: $3,217
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $25,597 (4.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $17,521
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,023
--- Board: $4,052
The National Collegiate Athletic Association It also reduced coaching staffs and the time student-athletes had for sports.
1992鈥1993
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $10,480 (2.5% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,090
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,162
--- Board: $3,228
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $26,130 (2.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $17,920
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,112
--- Board: $4,098
In the 1992 case , the United States Supreme Court ruled that Mississippi鈥檚 public universities failed to sufficiently desegregate. It ordered them to re-examine current policies and practices to ensure racial neutrality.
1993鈥1994
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $10,801 (3.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,305
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,282
--- Board: $3,215
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $26,988 (3.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $18,586
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,253
--- Board: $4,149
Colleges were exempt from the Federal Age Discrimination Act until Dec. 31, 1993. After that date, they could no longer use age as a reason to involuntarily retire professors.
1994鈥1995
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $11,004 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,422
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,337
--- Board: $3,245
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $27,388 (1.5% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $18,940
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,291
--- Board: $4,157
Judith Rodin became the when she was named president of the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. Eleven years later, she would become president of the Rockefeller Foundation.
1995鈥1996
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $11,264 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,573
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,406
--- Board: $3,285
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $28,284 (3.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $19,662
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,418
--- Board: $4,203
Economist Thomas Kane published a paper on in July 1995. It found that tuition hikes widen college enrollment rates between wealthy students and their lower-income counterparts and suggested that financial aid based on need be evaluated as a potential solution.
1996鈥1997
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $11,452 (1.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,664
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,457
--- Board: $3,331
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $28,797 (1.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $20,113
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,511
--- Board: $4,172
A 1996 ruling from the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in prevented the University of Texas School of Law from continuing to consider race as a criterion when making admissions decisions. It was considered a
1997鈥1998
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $11,772 (2.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,770
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,529
--- Board: $3,472
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $29,255 (1.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $20,471
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,547
--- Board: $4,236
In 1997 the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization adopted a that suggest standards for educators at post-secondary institutions across the world. It emphasized , among other values.
1998鈥1999
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $12,104 (2.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,869
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,633
--- Board: $3,603
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $30,053 (2.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $21,071
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,661
--- Board: $4,320
On Oct. 7, 1998, College students saw the interest rates on their student loans drop from 8.25% to 7.46%, saving them $11 billion over the next five years.
1999鈥2000
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $12,127 (0.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,908
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,692
--- Board: $3,527
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $30,393 (1.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $21,422
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,751
--- Board: $4,220
Kiplinger鈥檚 released its first ranking of private colleges by value in 1999. The business forecaster has .
2000鈥2001
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $12,263 (1.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $4,961
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,761
--- Board: $3,541
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $30,973 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $21,923
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,807
--- Board: $4,242
The year 2000 once again brought the . That year, the University of Massachusetts began downplaying SAT results and Mount Holyoke College stopped requiring scores from the test as part of its admissions process.
2001鈥2002
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $12,805 (4.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $5,201
--- Dormitory rooms: $3,922
--- Board: $3,682
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $31,882 (2.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $22,573
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,980
--- Board: $4,329
Ruth J. Simmons became . It was the first time in history that a Black woman would be the leader of an Ivy League school.
2002鈥2003
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $13,336 (4.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $5,513
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,127
--- Board: $3,696
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $32,411 (1.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $22,926
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,129
--- Board: $4,356
In 2002, President George W. Bush signed an appropriations bill that The Pell Grant program surpassed $10 billion in funding that year.
2003鈥2004
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $14,233 (6.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $6,115
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,283
--- Board: $3,834
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $33,427 (3.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $23,685
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,270
--- Board: $4,472
A 2003 Supreme Court ruling in found that the University of Michigan's affirmative action policy for its admissions program was unconstitutional. The ruling established in college admissions.
2004鈥2005
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $14,789 (3.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $6,506
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,425
--- Board: $3,858
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $33,991 (1.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $24,081
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,401
--- Board: $4,509
Homeownership rates of people under 35 years old , with over 43% owning their own residence. It has since dropped by almost 19%, which Sen. Bernie Sanders blames on the rise of student debt.
2005鈥2006
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $15,098 (2.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $6,672
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,569
--- Board: $3,857
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $34,082 (0.3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $24,055
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,491
--- Board: $4,535
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita battered the Southern U.S., in 2005. An at their campuses.
2006鈥2007
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $15,557 (3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $6,887
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,714
--- Board: $3,956
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $35,151 (3.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $24,938
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,607
--- Board: $4,607
In 2006, the Pension Protection Act was signed into law. The bill made the
2007鈥2008
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $15,739 (1.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $6,966
--- Dormitory rooms: $4,784
--- Board: $3,990
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $35,426 (0.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $25,113
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,635
--- Board: $4,678
North Carolina鈥檚 2007 General Assembly established the Child Welfare Postsecondary Support Program. Also known as NC Reach, the program covers college tuition and fees for North Carolina students who were once in foster care.
[Pictured: The North Carolina State Legislative Office Building.]
2008鈥2009
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $16,428 (4.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $7,296
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,006
--- Board: $4,126
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $36,102 (1.9% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $25,476
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,816
--- Board: $4,810
The financial crisis of 2008 impacted enrollment in post-secondary institutions across the U.S. Data shows that while public institutions saw greater numbers of students during the recession, private and for-profit colleges didn't necessarily benefit in the same way.
2009鈥2010
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,214 (4.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $7,689
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,225
--- Board: $4,299
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $36,459 (1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $25,495
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,009
--- Board: $4,956
Barack Obama began his first year in office as President of the United States. Under the guidance of his administration, the Department of Education created an
2010鈥2011
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $17,866 (3.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $8,004
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,423
--- Board: $4,440
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $36,494 (0.1% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $25,451
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,071
--- Board: $4,972
The government restructured the federal student loan and financial aid program in 2010. It and made a
2011鈥2012
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $18,303 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $8,410
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,486
--- Board: $4,407
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $36,720 (0.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $25,584
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,136
--- Board: $5,001
The year 2011 brought along changes to the Pell Grant program. While it , it also reduced the amount of times students can receive the grant.
2012鈥2013
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $18,742 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $8,655
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,621
--- Board: $4,465
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $37,614 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $26,301
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,260
--- Board: $5,054
The year 2012 ushered in staggering rates of student debt throughout the nation. On April 25, for the first time.
[Pictured: President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan talk with students and parents during a roundtable discussion on affordable higher education at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia.]
2013鈥2014
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $19,113 (2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $8,777
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,786
--- Board: $4,550
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $38,649 (2.8% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $27,147
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,364
--- Board: $5,139
Millions of students were . Congress failed to prevent an automatic rate hike, which ended up doubling the interest on student loans to 6.8%.
[Pictured: President Barack Obama, with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, delivers a statement on college affordability and interest rates on student loans, in the East Room of the White House.]
2014鈥2015
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $19,533 (2.2% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $8,957
--- Dormitory rooms: $5,951
--- Board: $4,625
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $39,825 (3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $28,032
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,530
--- Board: $5,264
The Department of Education in 2014. It offered student loan servicers greater incentives for providing better customer service to borrowers and keeping them current on payments.
2015鈥2016
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $19,998 (2.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $9,141
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,092
--- Board: $4,765
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $41,168 (3.4% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $29,097
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,732
--- Board: $5,340
A looked at how the characteristics of the institutions borrowers attended affected their ability to repay their student loans. It found that increases in defaults on student debt may have been driven by an influx of people attending for-profit colleges.
[Pictured: The Brookings Institution, located in Washington D.C.]
2016鈥2017
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $19,928 (0.4% decrease from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $9,003
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,153
--- Board: $4,772
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $42,400 (3% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $30,140
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,868
--- Board: $5,392
Student loan borrowers who were victims of fraud by the schools they attended . The Department of Education announced that students may have some or all of their loans discharged if their school engaged in substantial misrepresentation.
2017鈥2018
- Public 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $20,050 (0.6% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $9,037
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,227
--- Board: $4,786
- Private 4-year colleges (inflation adjusted)
- Total tuition, fees, room, and board: $43,139 (1.7% increase from prior year)
--- Tuition and fees: $30,731
--- Dormitory rooms: $6,967
--- Board: $5,441
The year 2017 brought along changes that made it easier to , which students use to get financial help for college tuition. The FAFSA improvements increased the number of requests for federal financial aid.
