College Costs: Then and Now
Compare annual tuition and mandatory fees at public and private four-year colleges, excluding room, board, books and living expenses.
A price from the past can look small simply because dollars were worth more then. “At the time” is what students were charged in that academic year. “In 2023–24 dollars” shows what that amount would be worth after adjusting for inflation. These are average tuition and required fees, before financial aid; housing, meals and books are excluded.
Data review: The private four-year column represents the combined private category, not private colleges (combined) alone. For example, the 2023–24 combined figure is $35,911, while the private nonprofit figure is $39,408. Institution classifications and reporting methods may change across historical years, so use long-run comparisons with care.
Historical data review: Private four-year figures for 2013–14 onward still require a row-by-row source audit. The historical figures reflect NCES institution categories and should not be interpreted as exclusively private colleges (combined).
Historical source: All displayed U.S. public and private four-year tuition-and-required-fee figures have been reconciled against the corresponding current-dollar and constant-2023–24-dollar columns in NCES Digest Table 330.10. The private series combines private institutions; it is not limited to nonprofit colleges. Comparable national figures before 1963–64 are not included.
U.S. tuition over time
Select public or private colleges to compare their tuition over time. The first price is what was charged then; the second expresses that amount in 2023–24 purchasing power. It is not a prediction of what tuition costs today.
| Academic year | Public: at the time | Public: in 2023–24 dollars | Private (all types): at the time | Private (all types): in 2023–24 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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The comparable NCES series begins in 1963–64; earlier years back to 1945 are not included. Public averages use in-district rates where applicable. Historical private-institution definitions changed over time, so older and newer private figures are not perfectly comparable.
College tuition around the world
Explore domestic undergraduate tuition across 32 countries. Some entries are published national averages, others are rounded OECD chart estimates, public-university examples or tuition policies. International-student rates and exceptions are distinguished where sourced.
Each row describes a national average, approximate comparison, tuition policy or public-university example. Prices may be annual, per semester or per course, and are not standardized national averages. The blue star (★) beside a tuition entry opens its source.
How to read these prices: National averages, individual-university fees, and tuition-free policies are different kinds of information. Currency symbols are original local currencies unless explicitly marked USD (PPP), which is purchasing-power-adjusted rather than a bank exchange-rate conversion. USD (PPP) is not the same as a currency-exchange conversion. A dollar sign without a clear currency code should not be treated as a converted U.S.-dollar amount.
| Continent | Country | Tuition policy or example | Figure type | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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OECD dollar figures marked PPP use purchasing-power adjustments; other entries retain local currency and published fee units. See each linked source for the institution, year, residency eligibility, and what charges are included. Room and board are excluded from the U.S. table.