Net College Tuition Prices Keep Falling

Adjusted for inflation, tuition and fees are getting cheaper at public colleges and universities, according to the Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2026 report the College Board published Thursday.

Between the 2016–17 and 2026–27 academic years, the average inflation-adjusted tuition and fees for in-district students declined by 12 percent at public colleges and 8 percent for in-state students attending public four-year universities. Meanwhile, tuition and fees remained flat at private nonprofit colleges. According to the report, the average sticker price for public four-year colleges this academic year was $12,290 for in-state students and $32,730 for out-of-state students. For students attending private, nonprofit colleges the average was $46,350.

However, many students receive grants, scholarships and other forms of aid that allow them to pay much less than the published sticker price.

“About 70 percent of full-time undergraduate students receive grant aid that reduces the actual cost of attending college,” Jessica Howell, College Board’s vice president of research, said in a news release. “Families need clear net price information early in the college application process.”

After adjusting for inflation, first-time full-time in-state students enrolled in public four-year institutions paid an estimated average of $1,920 in net tuition and fees during the 2026–27 academic year—compared to a peak of $4,600 during the 2012–13 academic year. Private college students have also seen a drop in average net tuition and fees over the past decade, from $20,350 (in 2026 value) during the 2016–17 academic year to $17,280 this academic year.

And at community colleges, the average first-time, full-time in-district students has been receiving enough grant aid to cover their tuition and fees since 2009.

But tuition and fees aren’t the only costs college students have to account for.

According to the report, during the 2026–27 academic year, community college students need $9,700 in housing and food after grant aid, in addition to $6,530 in allowances for books and supplies, transportation and other personal expenses. Students at public four-year colleges need about $16,350 for tuition, fees, housing and food after grant aid, and another $5,310 for personal expenses. And after grant aid, students at private colleges are still on the hook for an average of $38,540.