Trends in College Pricing

Published Prices > Over Time In Constant Dollars > Figure 5

Published tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities rose at an average annual rate of 4.9% per year beyond general inflation from 1999-2000 to 2009-10, more rapidly than in either of the previous two decades. However, the rate of growth of published tuition and fees at both private not-for-profit four-year institutions and public two-year colleges was lower from 1999-2000 to 2009-10 than in either of the previous two decades.

Figure 5 shows published tuition and fees by sector, adjusted for inflation, as a percentage of 1979-80 published prices. For example, a value of 200 indicates that tuition and fees in 1999-2000 were twice as high as they were in 1979-80, after adjusting for increases in the Consumer Price Index.

Sources: The College Board, Annual Survey of Colleges, NCES, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

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PUBLISHED CHARGES IN CONSTANT DOLLARS

From 1979-80 to 1989-90, private college tuition and fees rose more rapidly than public college tuition and fees. However, over the
past two decades, the rate of growth in published prices at public
four-year colleges has exceeded the rate of growth in the private
not-for-profit sector.
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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by 5.6% from July 2007 to July 2008, and declined by 2.1% from July 2008 to July 2009.
As a result, although average published tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased by 6.5% in both 2008-09 and 2009-10, the inflation-adjusted increase was 0.8% in 2008-09 and 8.8% in 2009-10. The CPI fluctuated much more than usual over the 2008-09 year, declining by 4.0% from July 2008 to January 2009 and increasing by 2.0% over the next
six months, making the inflation adjustment very sensitive to the month in which the index
is measured.
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Also Important

In addition to tuition and fees and room and board, students’ total cost of attendance includes allowances for books and supplies,
transportation, and other expenses included in the student budgets reported in Figure 1.
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About 40% of full-time dependent students enrolled in public four-year institutions live on campus. Another 40% live in off-campus housing and about 20% live with their parents.
Among dependent students at private not-for-profit four-year colleges, 70% live on campus, 17% live in off-campus housing, and 12% live with their parents. (NCES, NPSAS, 2008)
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