Public Four-Year Universities Notch Continued Progress on Affordability & Student Debt, New Data Show

Thanks to public universities’ efforts to control costs, state investments, and federal efforts to protect Pell Grant funding, there has been significant progress in college affordability and student debt over the past decade.

College Board data released today shows in-state tuition and fees at public four-year universities are lower today than they were a decade after adjusting for inflation.

Key costs data:

• Average published tuition and fees for in-state students at public four-year universities is $12,290, down $40 from last year and $1,110 (8%) from a decade after adjusting for inflation.
• Average net tuition and fees for in-state students at public four-year universities is $1,920, down $40 from last year and $2,620 (58%) from a decade ago. | Source: CP-9 on page 18.

Key debt data: