This Is How Much College Would Have Cost For Your Parents
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This Is How Much College Would Have Cost For Your Parents

Hint: It's not as much as our generation

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college
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The cost of college tuition, room & board is out of control.

With an average inflation rate of 6.19% from 1977 to 2023, that's higher than the inflation rate itself, which has averaged 3.53% in the same period.

In fact, the skyrocketing costs of college tuition are outpacing the rate of inflation by 171.5%.

Adjusted for inflation (2023 USD $), here's the average cost of college through the years, including room & board, showing that it really is going up lately:

1971-72

Private: $19,749

Public: $9,504

1972-73

Private: $20,229

Public: $10,147

1973-74

Private: $19,945

Public: $9,907

1974-75

Private: $18,998

Public: $9,167

1975-76

Private: $18,628

Public: $9,014

1976-77

Private: $19,129

Public: $9,319

1977-78

Private: $19,074

Public: $9,178

1978-79

Private: $19,249

Public: $8,982

1979-80

Private: $18,802

Public: $8,742

1980-81

Private: $18,541

Public: $8,459

1981-82

Private: $18,955

Public: $8,601

1982-83

Private: $20,065

Public: $9,003

1983-84

Private: $21,317

Public: $9,417

1984-85

Private: $22,275

Public: $9,700

1985-86

Private: $22,656

Public: $9,820

1986-87

Private: $24,682

Public: $10,147

1987-88

Private: $25,215

Public: $10,125

1988-89

Private: $27,001

Public: $10,321

1989-90

Private: $27,697

Public: $10,408

1990-91

Private: $28,362

Public: $10,669

1991-92

Private: $28,590

Public: $10,974

1992-93

Private: $29,352

Public: $11,388

1993-94

Private: $30,016

Public: $11,802

1994-95

Private: $30,506

Public: $12,237

1995-96

Private: $31,268

Public: $12,128

1996-97

Private: $32,085

Public: $12,477

1997-98

Private: $33,098

Public: $12,771

1998-99

Private: $34,393

Public: $13,065

1999-2000

Private: $35,351

Public: $13,293

2000-01

Private: $35,308

Public: $13,402

2001-02

Private: $36,886

Public: $13,957

2002-03

Private: $37,888

Public: $14,730

2003-04

Private: $38,879

Public: $15,710

2004-05

Private: $39,793

Public: $16,483

2005-06

Private: $40,360

Public: $17,017

2006-07

Private: $41,122

Public: $17,311

2007-08

Private: $42,134

Public: $17,866

2008-09

Private: $42,156

Public: $17,920

2009-10

Private: $44,682

Public: $19,412

2010-11

Private: $45,901

Public: $20,359

2011-12

Private: $46,108

Public: $20,838

2012-13

Private: $47,240

Public: $21,339

2013-14

Private: $48,111

Public: $21,589

2014-15

Private: $48,884

Public: $21,796

2015-16

Private: $50,441

Public: $22,493

2016-17

Private: $51,704

Public: $22,972

2017-18

Private: $52,673

Public: $23,299

2018-19

Private: $52,815

Public: $23,266

It's clear to see where the trends are heading. For more recent years and additional data, view the full Trends in College Pricing report from the CollegeBoard.

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