College Tuition Trends Over the Past 10 Years (2016-2025)

The Cost of Attendance (COA), which includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses, has significantly risen over the past decade.

Key COA Trends (2016-2025)

The total Cost of Attendance has increased substantially:

  • On-Campus: The COA has risen by 18.39%.
  • Off-Campus: The COA has risen by 21.97%.
  • 2024-2025 Total COA: the average total COA is $37,214 when living on campus and $38,691 when living off campus.

Tuition & Fees Changes

Tuition and fees saw dramatic increases across institution types:

Institution Type 10-Year Increase (2016-2025) 2025 Average Tuition & Fees
Public, In-State 15.29% (from $7,907 to $9,116) $9,116
Public, Out-of-State 10.99% (from $17,481 to $19,403) $19,403
Private Colleges 22.24% (from $23,821 to $29,118) $29,118

Note on Degrees: Undergraduate tuition & fees increased by 10.99%, while graduate program tuition & fees increased by 12.41% over the same period.

Living and Other Costs

Living Costs (Room & Board, Other Expenses):

  • Living costs increased by 30.76% for on-campus and 39.22% for off-campus.
  • The average living cost for 2024-2025 is $16,605 (on-campus) and $18,082 (off-campus).

Books & Supplies:

  • Books and supplies costs have remained relatively stable (-3.75%), with the average cost for 2024-2025 being $1,206.

COA (Cost of Attendance) Trends

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 18.39% when living on campus and 21.97% when living off campus at Colleges in United States.

In private Colleges in United States, the COA has increase by 24.24% (on-campus) and 27.18% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

For the academic year 2024-2025, the total cost of attendance is $37,214 when a student lives on campus and $38,691 when living off campus at Colleges in United States. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Colleges in United States over the past 10 years.

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2025), the average tuition & fees for Colleges in United States is $10,872 for state residents and $21,338 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $30,371.

For graduate programs, the 2025 average graduate tuition & fees is $13,861 for state residents and $23,464 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $21,668.

The tuition & fees has increased 10.99% for undergraduate programs and 12.41% for graduate programs at Colleges in United States. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

U.S. 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart
U.S. Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

For the current year (2025), the average book & supplies costs is $1,206 for Colleges in United States. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2016 to 2025.

Living Costs Changes

For Colleges in United States, the living have increased 23.05% when a student lives on campus facilities and 27.63% when living off campus from year 2016 to 2025. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Most Searched Colleges (last 30 days)
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