College facts & stats

Question 1

For 2025-26, about what is average published tuition and fees at a private nonprofit four-year college?

Accepted Answer

$45,000. Private college sticker prices rose about 4.0% before adjusting for inflation that year.

Question 2

For 2025-26, about what is average published tuition and fees at a public two-year community college?

Accepted Answer

$4,150. Community college remains by far the cheapest path to a degree, though prices have crept up here too.

Question 3

How has the average net price paid by in-state students at public 4-year colleges changed since its 2012-13 peak?

Accepted Answer

from $4,450 to about $2,300. Growing grant aid has meant many students now pay far less than the sticker price implies, after adjusting for inflation.

Question 4

In 2023-24, about how much did state and local governments spend per student on public higher education?

Accepted Answer

$11,680. Funding per student varied enormously by state, from about $5,500 in New Hampshire to over $20,000 in Hawaii or Alaska.

Question 5

Total U.S. postsecondary enrollment rebounded between fall 2022 and fall 2023. About how many students enrolled in fall 2023?

Accepted Answer

18.9 million. That followed three straight years of enrollment declines during the Covid-19 pandemic.

College facts & stats

The basics

For 2025-26, about what is average published tuition and fees at a private nonprofit four-year college?

For 2025-26, about what is average published tuition and fees at a public two-year community college?

Total U.S. postsecondary enrollment rebounded between fall 2022 and fall 2023. About how many students enrolled in fall 2023?

Going deeper

In 2023-24, about how much did state and local governments spend per student on public higher education?

Expert level

How has the average net price paid by in-state students at public 4-year colleges changed since its 2012-13 peak?