Bankrate
Average cost of college 2024-2025
Dori Zinn
9 min read

Key takeaways

  • Students are paying $11,610 per year on average in tuition and fees at public, in-state schools, and $30,780 for out-of-state undergraduates, according to the CollegeBoard.

  • The average cost of college has skyrocketed in the last 30 years.

  • The average cost of college is based on the type of institution, in-state vs. out-of-state students, and other expenses.

Where you go to school matters, whether you’re staying at an in-state institution; a private, for-profit university; or a local, two-year college. When you add room and board, books and other expenses to the mix, that bill goes up several thousand dollars more.

The cost of college in the U.S. has tripled over the last three decades — and things don’t seem to be slowing down, especially now that sky-high inflation is making everything more expensive.

Key college cost statistics 2024-2025

  • The average annual cost of tuition and fees at a public, four-year university for out-of-state undergraduates is $30,780 per year.

  • When adding in other costs like housing, supplies, transportation and other expenses, in-state students paid $29,910 per year and out-of-state students paid $49,080 for the full cost of college per year.

  • Students going to private institutions paid $62,990 in tuition, fees, housing, food, supplies, and other expenses.

  • Commuter students paid $20,570, but only $4,050 was towards tuition and fees.

How much does college cost?

The net price for college depends on the type of institution and where it’s located. Private colleges are usually the most expensive option because public schools receive funding from the federal government, whereas private colleges receive most of their funding through tuition payments and private donations.

Beyond tuition and fees, the cost of attendance includes housing (whether that’s on-campus or off), food, transportation, books and supplies, and other expenses. Commuter students at a two-year college might pay more in transportation and other expenses, but they pay significantly less when it comes to tuition.

Average estimated full-time undergraduate budgets by sector 2024-2025

Key points

Public two-year in-district commuter

Public four-year in-state, on-campus

Public four-year out-of-state, on-campus

Private nonprofit four-year, on-campus

Tuition and fees

$4,050

$11,610

$30,780

$43,350

Room and board

$10,390

$13,310

$13,310

$15,250

Books and supplies

$1,520

$1,290

$1,290

$1,290

Transportation

$2,010

$1,340

$1,340

$1,150

Other expenses

$2,600

$2,360

$2,360

$1,950

Total

$20,570

$29,910

$49,080

$62,990

The reason the cost of college is high could be for a number of reasons. Public universities receiving less state funding need to make up the difference by charging students more. Operating costs also come out of those tuition dollars and get spread out campus-wide, and those costs aren’t going down either.

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