Trends in College Pricing: Highlights

Review highlights from the Trends in College Pricing 2024 report. You can find the full report, Excel data, and PowerPoint presentation in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.

Published or Sticker Prices

In 2024-25, the average published (sticker) tuition and fees for full-time undergraduate students are:

• Public four-year in-state: $11,610, $300 higher than in 2023-24 (2.7% before adjusting for inflation).
• Public four-year out-of-state: $30,780, $940 higher than in 2023-24 (3.2% before adjusting for inflation).
• Public two-year in-district: $4,050, $100 higher than in 2023-24 (2.5% before adjusting for inflation).
• Private nonprofit four-year: $43,350, $1,610 higher than in 2023-24 (3.9% before adjusting for inflation).

One Price Doesn't Fit All

Published college prices vary widely, depending on the type of institution and where it's located.

• Across the United States, average 2024-25 public two-year in-district tuition and fees range from $1,440 in California and $2,220 in New Mexico to $8,660 in Vermont.
• Average 2024-25 public four-year in-state tuition and fees range from $6,360 in Florida and $6,960 in Wyoming to $17,360 in New Hampshire and $17,490 in Vermont.

Net Prices

The majority of full-time undergraduate students receive grant aid that helps them pay for college.

• Since 2009-10, first-time full-time students at public two-year colleges have been receiving enough grant aid to cover their tuition and fees on average.
• After adjusting for inflation, the average net tuition and fees paid by first-time full-time in-state students enrolled in public four-year institutions peaked in 2012-13 at $4,340 and declined to an estimated $2,480 in 2024-25.  
• After adjusting for inflation, the average net tuition and fees paid by first-time full-time students enrolled in private nonprofit four-year institutions declined from $19,330 in 2006-07 to an estimated $16,510 in 2024-25. 

Family Income

The income gap between families with the lowest and highest incomes is growing.

• Between 1993 and 2023, the average income increased by 54% for the top quintile of families and by 37% for the lowest quintile of families, after adjusting for inflation.

Institutional Finances

In 2022-23, state and local funding per student was $11,040, the same as in 2021-22, after adjusting for inflation. State and local funding per student increased each year from 2012-13 to 2021-22, following four years of decline during and after the Great Recession of 2008.

Enrollment

Between fall 2019 and 2022, total postsecondary enrollment declined by 1,043,200 (5%). The public two-year sector saw the largest decline in enrollment—845,000 (12.3%) during this period. Total enrollment declined by 164,000 (2%) in the public four-year sector, by 21,000 (<1%) in the private nonprofit four-year sector, and by 13,000 (1%) in the for-profit sector.

• Total undergraduate enrollment (including full-time and part-time students) fell by 7% (from 16.4 million to 15.3 million).
• Total graduate student enrollment rose by 3.5% (from 3.066 million to 3.174 million).