Average Published Yearly Tuition and Fees

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1 College may seem expensive. In reality, though, it s often more affordable than you think. The costs depend on what college you go to and how much financial aid you receive. How much is tuition? Tuition is the price colleges charge for classes. Students also pay other fees related to enrolling in and attending a college. The cost of tuition and fees varies by college. There is a wide range of prices, as the table below shows. But you should know that half of all full-time undergraduate students at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges attend institutions that charge tuition and fees of $11,550 or less. Type of College Average Published Yearly Tuition and Fees Public Two-Year College (in-district students) $3,347 Public Four-Year College (in-state students) $9,139 Public Four-Year College (out-of-state students) $22,958 Private Four-Year College $31,231 These numbers are based on published tuition costs, not what students actually end up paying out of their own pockets. There can be a big difference between those two numbers, thanks to financial aid. 1

2 What other expenses will I have? Besides tuition and fees, students have to pay for housing, food, books and supplies. They also have to cover any additional college fees and other living expenses, such as transportation costs. Learn more about the five main categories of college costs. for college/college costs/quick guidecollege costs 2

3 Can I get help paying for college? Yes. Most college students receive financial aid. This is money that is given or lent to you to help pay for college costs. There are several forms of financial aid: Grants and scholarships: money you do not have to repay Loans: money you do have to repay Work-study: a program that allows you to work part-time to earn money for college expenses Students often use a combination of financial aid options to pay their college expenses. Read Financial Aid Can Help You Afford College to learn more. for college/financial aid 101/financial aidcan help you afford college 3

4 What will college really cost me? Probably less than you think. The best way to figure out what a particular college may really cost you is to find out your estimated net price for that college. This is usually far lower than the published price. Your net price for a college is the published price of tuition and fees minus your gift aid and education tax benefits. Gift aid includes grants and scholarships but not loans or money earned through a work-study job. You can use a college s net price calculator (most colleges have these on their websites) to get a customized estimate of your net price for that college. Learn more about estimating college costs. for college/college costs/how to get thebest estimate of your college costs 4

5 Is college worth the cost? College has many benefits. For example, people who graduate from college earn more money and are more likely to hold a job than those who don t. In 2011, people with a bachelor s degree who worked full-time earned $21,100 more, on average, than fulltime workers with only a high school diploma. Learn more about how college education pays. for college/college costs/college costs faqs 5

6 Focus on Net Price, Not Sticker Price 6

7 Please read through section on Net Price... Questions? Thoughts? 7

8 Tips As you use net price calculators: Answer each question as accurately as possible. The more accurate the numbers you provide are, the more accurate the result. Remember that they provide estimates only. The actual price you pay to go to a particular college may be higher or lower than the estimate its net price calculator provides. 8

9 Finish reading the section on Student Loans... How to Get the Best Estimate of Your College Costs Did you know that colleges with higher sticker prices sometimes offer more financial aid? Or that colleges differ in the types of aid they offer? Below are a few tips that will help you estimate the real amount you ll have to pay to attend the colleges you re considering. You can search for colleges by average net price and by the average percent of financial need colleges meet. Focus on Net Price Average Net Price Average Percent of Need Met Average Percent of Gift Aid 9

10 Tips and Reminders As you consider these key figures, keep the following in mind: Calculating your estimated net price will give you the best idea of how much a college will really cost you. Averages give you only a general overview of how a college has awarded financial aid to other students in the past. Financial aid officers at each college will weigh your circumstances before deciding on your actual financial aid award. 10