Digital Boom Drives Down Cost of College Course Materials

The rising popularity of digital course materials is helping students save money, a new survey shows. 

During the 2025–26 academic year, students spent an average of $338 on college course materials, including textbooks and digital materials, according to the annual “Student Watch” report the National Association of College Stores published last week. That number represents a 44 percent decline in spending on course materials over the past decade. The report, which is based on a survey of more than 12,000 students across 30 higher education institutions, attributes the drop to the simultaneous increase in the availability of digital materials. 

This year about 40 percent of purchased course materials were digital, compared to about 38 percent last year.

“For the third year in a row, students say they prefer digital materials over print. They really like to be able to access their materials across multiple devices, and do it pretty seamlessly,” Lacey Wallace, research analyst for the NACS, said in a video about the report. “Digital course materials can save students money because they’re often cheaper than print alternatives.”

Two-thirds of students who responded to the survey said that instead of renting or buying course materials, they prefer to get them from affordable access programs. Such programs, which are often digital-first, allow students to use loans and scholarships to access high-quality materials on or before the first day of class at a significantly discounted price. Research shows that students who participate in the programs earn higher grades and are less likely to withdraw from a course than their peers.