How Much Does College Cost? Average Tuition, Facts, and Statistics

By

Lyss Welding

Updated on May 8, 2025

Edited by

Rebecca Long

• Fact-checked by Marley Rose

Learn more about our editorial process

On average, four years of college costs $120,000 at in-state schools but elite universities may charge up to $90,000 per year.

Credit: Image Credit: Peter Cade / Photodisc / Getty Images

Over the decades, the cost of a college degree has skyrocketed. Several factors can make your college education more or less expensive. Knowing them can help you plan your education.

Below, we’ve collected facts and figures about the cost of college, from average yearly tuition rates to pricing for textbooks and dorms, plus how expenses differ across states and school types.

Average Cost of College in 2024-2025

According to an annual survey of colleges conducted by CollegeBoard, the average cost of college in 2024-2025 was roughly $30,000 at in-state public universities, $49,000 for public universities out of state, and $63,000 at private colleges.

Specifically, those figures represent one year of tuition, fees, housing, food, supplies, and transportation for full-time students at nonprofit four-year schools.

The average cost of attending a public two-year college — also called a community college — is substantially less than the cost of attending a four-year college. Increasingly, community colleges offer bachelor’s degrees, which can be a more affordable pathway to a four-year degree.

What Factors Into the Cost of College?

There’s more behind the cost of college than tuition alone. Below are some of the costs associated with going to college and their average prices, based on national data.

Average College Tuition Costs

In 2024-2025, CollegeBoard reported that the average tuition for state residents at public universities was around $11,600 — about half the total cost of college.

Nonprofit private universities are far more expensive, due mainly to their higher tuition costs. The average tuition at private nonprofit colleges was $43,350 in 2024-2025, making up the majority of the total cost of attending these schools.

Cost of Room and Board in College

Room and board refers to the cost of on-campus housing (room) and a meal plan (board). In 2024-2025, CollegeBoard reported that the average cost of room and board was:

• $13,310 at public four-year colleges
• $15,250 at private nonprofit four-year colleges

Depending on where you live, it could be cheaper or costlier to rent an apartment off campus. National data suggests that, on average, the costs are pretty similar. In 2022-2023, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that the average cost for room and board was just $50 cheaper for off-campus students compared to students living on campus.

Cost of College Textbooks and Supplies

CollegeBoard reported that students at four-year colleges spend an average of $1,290 on course materials and other supplies.

However, in a 2023 National Association of College Stores survey, students reported that they spent an average of less than $300 annually on textbooks. Additionally, students studying law, health and clinical sciences, and business spent the most on textbooks compared to students in other majors.

Transportation Costs

According to CollegeBoard, in 2024-2025, college students’ transportation costs ranged from roughly $1,150-$2,000. As expected, commuter students reported spending more on transportation than students living on campus.

Other Costs in College

Historically, NCES has collected data on “other expenses” associated with college, including hidden college costs: laundry, dorm supplies, loan fees, entertainment, study abroad, childcare, healthcare, and more.

• In 2022-2023, the average “other” expenses for first-year, on-campus college students across all four-year schools added up to roughly $3,410.
• Students living off campus had higher “other” expenses, averaging $4,790.

Net Cost of College

The sum of tuition and other college expenses still doesn’t tell the whole story of what students pay for school. That’s because students can apply for scholarships and grants to subsidize the cost of college.

In fact, the average grant amount awarded to in-district two-year college students is enough to cover average tuition costs, so students are left with other costs associated with college attendance.

The average net cost of college — the remaining total after grants and scholarships — is $20,780 at public universities and $36,150 at private universities.

State and federal grants, like the federally awarded Pell Grant, have an annual maximum and generally go to students from low-income families. Institutional scholarships can be based on financial need and other factors, such as academics or participation in sports. Some very expensive schools also award some of the highest levels of financial aid.

For-Profit Colleges and Financial Aid

Generally, for-profit private colleges are more expensive than state schools. And while their average sticker price is less than the cost of nonprofit private colleges, for-profit schools typically do not offer students the same levels of grants and scholarships. According to NCES, about 82% of private nonprofit university students received institutional grants in 2022, compared to just 25% of students at private for-profit colleges.

Additionally, NCES reported the average institutional aid amount awarded to students at nonprofit private colleges was roughly $25,000, whereas it was just $4,000 at for-profit colleges.

Average Cost of College by State

In 2024-2025, the states with the highest average tuition for state residents at four-year public colleges were in the Northeast. These states’ average all-in price tags were roughly twice that of the least expensive states’.

States with the highest college tuition for in-state students at public universities were:

1. Vermont ($17,490)
2. New Hampshire ($17,360)
3. Connecticut ($17,190)
4. New Jersey ($17,050)
5. Pennsylvania ($16,330)

Four-year public college tuition is cheapest for residents in the following states:

1. Florida ($6,360)
2. Wyoming ($6,960)
3. North Carolina ($7,470)
4. Utah ($8,000)
5. Montana ($8,250)

California, Michigan, and Washington have the greatest price hike for non-resident students, compared to their in-state tuition rates. In each of these states, non-residents can expect to pay an extra $25,000 a year in tuition alone compared to state residents.

Cost of Ivy League Colleges

Some of the nation’s most selective and esteemed institutions, such as Ivy League and other elite schools, have the highest tuition rates. At the same time, these schools often provide large financial aid packages.

Online College Cost

In 2022-2023, the average net price reported by distance-learning-only institutions was $17,140.

There are 65 degree-conferring distance-learning-only institutions in the NCES College Navigator database. Of those, 38 reported the net cost of attendance for full-time, first-year undergraduate students in 2022-2023.

Of those schools:

• The average net cost of attendance for full-time, first-year undergraduate students was about $17,140.
• As with in-person schools, public schools were less expensive than private schools.
• Unlike in-person colleges, online private for-profit schools were more expensive than online private nonprofit schools, on average.

The tuition data in the graph above describes fully online colleges. However, large public universities are increasingly expanding their online program offerings. In some cases, remote students may qualify for in-state tuition, regardless of where they live.

Sources

• Ma, J., Pender, M., Oster, M. (2024). Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2024, New York: College Board. © 2024 CollegeBoard.
• National Center for Education Statistics. (Retrieved April 2025.) Custom tables.
• Student Watch™: Attitudes and Behaviors toward Course Materials. (June 2023.) National Association of College Stores.