College Tuition Price History
1963–2025 · College Board / National Center for Education Statistics
Average annual tuition and required fees at four-year public universities for in-state students, from 1963 to 2025. Back in the early '60s, a year of college ran you about $243 — less than what most people spend on textbooks today. That number has since ballooned nearly fifty-fold, blowing past $11,000 by the mid-2020s. The acceleration wasn't steady, either. Costs crawled upward through the '70s, then took off like a rocket in the '80s and '90s as states slashed higher-ed funding and schools started treating tuition as their primary revenue lever.
Source: College Board / National Center for Education Statistics1963–2025
Price in 1963
$243.00
Price in 2025
$11,950.00
Total Change
+4817.7%
Years Tracked
62
College Tuition Over Time
1963Year Range2025
Compare to inflation: The chart above shows nominal (not inflation-adjusted) prices. Use the toggle to switch to inflation-adjusted values when available, or try the inflation calculator to convert any amount between years.
Key Insights
- In 1963, a full year of in-state tuition at a public university cost just $243. By 2025, that same seat runs $11,950 — a 4,815% increase that dwarfs general inflation over the same period.
- The single worst decade for sticker-price growth was 2000-2010, when tuition more than doubled from $3,508 to $7,605 — driven largely by state budget cuts after the dot-com bust and the 2008 financial crisis.
- Growth has actually cooled off since 2015. Tuition went from $9,410 to $11,950 over the past ten years, a 27% bump that's modest by historical standards.
- Between 1980 and 1990, tuition jumped from $804 to $1,908 — a 137% spike in a single decade that marked the beginning of the modern affordability crisis.
Year-by-Year Data
| Year | Price (USD per year) | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | $243.00 | — |
| 1964 | $257.00 | +5.8% |
| 1965 | $267.00 | +3.9% |
| 1966 | $281.00 | +5.2% |
| 1967 | $294.00 | +4.6% |
| 1968 | $311.00 | +5.8% |
| 1969 | $327.00 | +5.1% |
| 1970 | $394.00 | +20.5% |
| 1971 | $428.00 | +8.6% |
| 1972 | $479.00 | +11.9% |
| 1973 | $507.00 | +5.8% |
| 1974 | $512.00 | +1.0% |
| 1975 | $542.00 | +5.9% |
| 1976 | $567.00 | +4.6% |
| 1977 | $593.00 | +4.6% |
| 1978 | $624.00 | +5.2% |
| 1979 | $657.00 | +5.3% |
| 1980 | $804.00 | +22.4% |
| 1981 | $909.00 | +13.1% |
| 1982 | $1,031.00 | +13.4% |
| 1983 | $1,148.00 | +11.3% |
| 1984 | $1,228.00 | +7.0% |
| 1985 | $1,318.00 | +7.3% |
| 1986 | $1,414.00 | +7.3% |
| 1987 | $1,537.00 | +8.7% |
| 1988 | $1,646.00 | +7.1% |
| 1989 | $1,780.00 | +8.1% |
| 1990 | $1,908.00 | +7.2% |
| 1991 | $2,107.00 | +10.4% |
| 1992 | $2,349.00 | +11.5% |
| 1993 | $2,537.00 | +8.0% |
| 1994 | $2,681.00 | +5.7% |
| 1995 | $2,811.00 | +4.8% |
| 1996 | $2,975.00 | +5.8% |
| 1997 | $3,111.00 | +4.6% |
| 1998 | $3,229.00 | +3.8% |
| 1999 | $3,356.00 | +3.9% |
| 2000 | $3,508.00 | +4.5% |
| 2001 | $3,735.00 | +6.5% |
| 2002 | $4,081.00 | +9.3% |
| 2003 | $4,587.00 | +12.4% |
| 2004 | $5,126.00 | +11.8% |
| 2005 | $5,491.00 | +7.1% |
| 2006 | $5,804.00 | +5.7% |
| 2007 | $6,185.00 | +6.6% |
| 2008 | $6,585.00 | +6.5% |
| 2009 | $7,020.00 | +6.6% |
| 2010 | $7,605.00 | +8.3% |
| 2011 | $8,244.00 | +8.4% |
| 2012 | $8,655.00 | +5.0% |
| 2013 | $8,893.00 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | $9,139.00 | +2.8% |
| 2015 | $9,410.00 | +3.0% |
| 2016 | $9,650.00 | +2.6% |
| 2017 | $9,970.00 | +3.3% |
| 2018 | $10,230.00 | +2.6% |
| 2019 | $10,440.00 | +2.1% |
| 2020 | $10,560.00 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | $10,740.00 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $10,940.00 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $11,260.00 | +2.9% |
| 2024 | $11,610.00 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | $11,950.00 | +2.9% |
Year1963
Price (USD per year)$243.00
YoY Change—
Year1964
Price (USD per year)$257.00
YoY Change+5.8%
Year1965
Price (USD per year)$267.00
YoY Change+3.9%
Year1966
Price (USD per year)$281.00
YoY Change+5.2%
Year1967
Price (USD per year)$294.00
YoY Change+4.6%
Year1968
Price (USD per year)$311.00
YoY Change+5.8%
Year1969
Price (USD per year)$327.00
YoY Change+5.1%
Year1970
Price (USD per year)$394.00
YoY Change+20.5%
Year1971
Price (USD per year)$428.00
YoY Change+8.6%
Year1972
Price (USD per year)$479.00
YoY Change+11.9%
Year1973
Price (USD per year)$507.00
YoY Change+5.8%
Year1974
Price (USD per year)$512.00
YoY Change+1.0%
Year1975
Price (USD per year)$542.00
YoY Change+5.9%
Year1976
Price (USD per year)$567.00
YoY Change+4.6%
Year1977
Price (USD per year)$593.00
YoY Change+4.6%
Year1978
Price (USD per year)$624.00
YoY Change+5.2%
Year1979
Price (USD per year)$657.00
YoY Change+5.3%
Year1980
Price (USD per year)$804.00
YoY Change+22.4%
Year1981
Price (USD per year)$909.00
YoY Change+13.1%
Year1982
Price (USD per year)$1,031.00
YoY Change+13.4%
Year1983
Price (USD per year)$1,148.00
YoY Change+11.3%
Year1984
Price (USD per year)$1,228.00
YoY Change+7.0%
Year1985
Price (USD per year)$1,318.00
YoY Change+7.3%
Year1986
Price (USD per year)$1,414.00
YoY Change+7.3%
Year1987
Price (USD per year)$1,537.00
YoY Change+8.7%
Year1988
Price (USD per year)$1,646.00
YoY Change+7.1%
Year1989
Price (USD per year)$1,780.00
YoY Change+8.1%
Year1990
Price (USD per year)$1,908.00
YoY Change+7.2%
Year1991
Price (USD per year)$2,107.00
YoY Change+10.4%
Year1992
Price (USD per year)$2,349.00
YoY Change+11.5%
Year1993
Price (USD per year)$2,537.00
YoY Change+8.0%
Year1994
Price (USD per year)$2,681.00
YoY Change+5.7%
Year1995
Price (USD per year)$2,811.00
YoY Change+4.8%
Year1996
Price (USD per year)$2,975.00
YoY Change+5.8%
Year1997
Price (USD per year)$3,111.00
YoY Change+4.6%
Year1998
Price (USD per year)$3,229.00
YoY Change+3.8%
Year1999
Price (USD per year)$3,356.00
YoY Change+3.9%
Year2000
Price (USD per year)$3,508.00
YoY Change+4.5%
Year2001
Price (USD per year)$3,735.00
YoY Change+6.5%
Year2002
Price (USD per year)$4,081.00
YoY Change+9.3%
Year2003
Price (USD per year)$4,587.00
YoY Change+12.4%
Year2004
Price (USD per year)$5,126.00
YoY Change+11.8%
Year2005
Price (USD per year)$5,491.00
YoY Change+7.1%
Year2006
Price (USD per year)$5,804.00
YoY Change+5.7%
Year2007
Price (USD per year)$6,185.00
YoY Change+6.6%
Year2008
Price (USD per year)$6,585.00
YoY Change+6.5%
Year2009
Price (USD per year)$7,020.00
YoY Change+6.6%
Year2010
Price (USD per year)$7,605.00
YoY Change+8.3%
Year2011
Price (USD per year)$8,244.00
YoY Change+8.4%
Year2012
Price (USD per year)$8,655.00
YoY Change+5.0%
Year2013
Price (USD per year)$8,893.00
YoY Change+2.7%
Year2014
Price (USD per year)$9,139.00
YoY Change+2.8%
Year2015
Price (USD per year)$9,410.00
YoY Change+3.0%
Year2016
Price (USD per year)$9,650.00
YoY Change+2.6%
Year2017
Price (USD per year)$9,970.00
YoY Change+3.3%
Year2018
Price (USD per year)$10,230.00
YoY Change+2.6%
Year2019
Price (USD per year)$10,440.00
YoY Change+2.1%
Year2020
Price (USD per year)$10,560.00
YoY Change+1.1%
Year2021
Price (USD per year)$10,740.00
YoY Change+1.7%
Year2022
Price (USD per year)$10,940.00
YoY Change+1.9%
Year2023
Price (USD per year)$11,260.00
YoY Change+2.9%
Year2024
Price (USD per year)$11,610.00
YoY Change+3.1%
Year2025
Price (USD per year)$11,950.00
YoY Change+2.9%
Related
Sources & Methodology
College Board Trends in College Pricing data, average published tuition and required fees at public 4-year institutions for in-state students. Pre-1970 data from NCES historical tables.
Primary source: College Board / National Center for Education Statistics
For a full explanation of how we collect and adjust data, see our methodology page.