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College tuition and fees increase 63 percent since January 2006

August 30, 2016

Back to school season is here! Whether your kids are off to nursery school, college, or a private elementary or high school, paying for tuition, housing, textbooks, and other school-related expenses may pose a challenge to the family budget. From January 2006 to July 2016, the Consumer Price Index for college tuition and fees increased 63 percent, compared with an increase of 21 percent for all items. Over that period, consumer prices for college textbooks increased 88 percent and housing at school (excluding board) increased 51 percent.

Consumer price indexes for tuition and school-related items, not seasonally adjusted, January 2006–July 2016 (January 2006 = 100)
Month All items College tuition
and fees
Elementary
and high school
tuition and fees
Child care and
nursery school
Technical and
business school
tuition and fees
Housing at school,
excluding board
College
textbooks

Jan 2006

100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Feb 2006

100.2 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.0 100.0 100.8

Mar 2006

100.8 100.0 100.1 99.9 100.1 99.9 101.0

Apr 2006

101.6 100.1 100.3 100.0 100.2 99.9 101.0

May 2006

102.1 100.3 100.5 100.0 101.1 100.6 101.5

Jun 2006

102.3 100.6 101.2 100.4 101.5 100.8 102.1

Jul 2006

102.6 101.3 101.8 100.8 102.1 101.1 102.0

Aug 2006

102.8 104.2 104.7 101.6 102.9 103.0 103.2

Sep 2006

102.3 106.2 105.9 103.6 103.2 104.7 104.0

Oct 2006

101.8 106.5 105.9 103.9 103.2 105.0 105.1

Nov 2006

101.6 106.8 105.8 103.9 103.4 105.0 105.1

Dec 2006

101.8 106.8 105.9 104.1 103.9 105.0 105.4

Jan 2007

102.1 106.6 105.9 104.3 103.1 105.1 107.1

Feb 2007

102.6 106.7 106.1 104.6 103.4 105.2 107.7

Mar 2007

103.6 106.7 106.1 104.6 104.4 105.3 109.3

Apr 2007

104.2 106.6 106.1 104.8 104.1 105.3 109.4

May 2007

104.9 106.8 106.3 104.8 105.1 105.9 109.6

Jun 2007

105.1 106.9 106.7 104.8 105.5 105.9 109.9

Jul 2007

105.0 107.6 107.2 105.3 104.4 106.4 110.6

Aug 2007

104.8 110.4 109.8 105.6 107.2 108.5 113.0

Sep 2007

105.1 112.0 111.1 107.9 107.7 110.2 113.8

Oct 2007

105.4 112.9 111.4 108.0 108.2 110.4 114.2

Nov 2007

106.0 113.3 111.7 108.0 108.5 110.4 114.1

Dec 2007

105.9 113.3 111.7 108.1 109.1 110.4 114.9

Jan 2008

106.4 113.4 111.7 109.0 108.4 110.5 115.9

Feb 2008

106.8 113.3 111.7 109.1 108.3 110.5 116.3

Mar 2008

107.7 113.2 111.9 109.1 108.4 110.5 116.6

Apr 2008

108.3 113.4 112.0 109.1 108.8 110.5 117.1

May 2008

109.2 113.6 112.3 109.2 109.5 110.8 117.5

Jun 2008

110.3 113.7 112.7 109.5 110.7 110.9 117.6

Jul 2008

110.9 114.4 113.3 109.8 111.1 111.3 117.9

Aug 2008

110.5 117.4 116.2 111.0 112.5 113.7 122.0

Sep 2008

110.3 119.5 118.0 112.8 112.9 115.1 123.1

Oct 2008

109.2 119.8 118.3 113.3 112.6 115.5 123.4

Nov 2008

107.1 119.9 118.5 113.3 112.6 115.6 123.0

Dec 2008

106.0 119.9 118.5 113.5 112.8 115.6 123.5

Jan 2009

106.5 120.0 118.5 113.8 112.9 115.9 124.6

Feb 2009

107.0 119.9 118.5 113.9 113.2 116.1 125.0

Mar 2009

107.3 119.8 118.6 114.0 113.5 116.1 125.7

Apr 2009

107.5 119.9 118.7 114.0 113.6 116.2 125.9

May 2009

107.8 120.3 118.8 114.0 115.2 116.2 125.9

Jun 2009

108.8 120.4 119.0 114.2 115.8 116.2 127.1

Jul 2009

108.6 121.1 119.8 114.4 117.0 116.9 128.4

Aug 2009

108.8 125.1 122.2 114.7 117.9 119.7 130.6

Sep 2009

108.9 127.1 123.3 116.0 116.8 121.0 131.7

Oct 2009

109.0 127.5 123.2 116.0 116.8 121.3 131.8

Nov 2009

109.1 127.1 123.2 116.0 116.8 121.4 132.3

Dec 2009

108.9 127.1 123.2 116.1 117.1 121.4 132.6

Jan 2010

109.3 126.9 123.2 116.4 117.0 121.6 133.7

Feb 2010

109.3 126.8 123.3 117.2 117.2 121.6 134.5

Mar 2010

109.7 127.0 123.5 117.4 117.4 121.6 134.5

Apr 2010

109.9 127.2 123.6 117.8 118.0 121.6 134.1

May 2010

110.0 127.3 123.7 117.7 118.3 121.8 134.5

Jun 2010

109.9 127.4 124.0 118.1 119.4 121.9 135.1

Jul 2010

109.9 128.1 125.1 118.3 120.5 122.3 135.1

Aug 2010

110.1 131.5 126.5 118.9 121.1 125.1 135.3

Sep 2010

110.2 132.7 128.1 120.0 121.7 126.2 136.3

Oct 2010

110.3 132.3 128.0 119.8 121.8 126.5 136.7

Nov 2010

110.3 132.4 128.0 119.9 121.8 126.5 136.6

Dec 2010

110.5 132.2 128.0 120.4 121.9 126.5 137.7

Jan 2011

111.1 132.7 128.0 120.7 122.1 126.7 139.9

Feb 2011

111.6 132.8 128.0 120.8 122.1 126.7 139.7

Mar 2011

112.7 132.8 128.2 120.8 122.1 126.8 140.3

Apr 2011

113.4 132.7 128.2 121.0 123.8 126.8 140.4

May 2011

114.0 133.1 128.3 121.1 123.9 126.9 140.6

Jun 2011

113.8 133.0 128.8 121.2 124.7 127.0 140.7

Jul 2011

113.9 134.2 129.9 121.4 126.8 127.5 141.2

Aug 2011

114.2 138.4 131.3 122.0 128.5 130.0 142.7

Sep 2011

114.4 140.0 132.8 122.6 128.4 131.2 145.0

Oct 2011

114.2 139.9 132.8 123.5 128.5 131.4 145.2

Nov 2011

114.1 140.2 132.8 123.0 128.5 131.4 145.6

Dec 2011

113.8 140.2 132.8 123.1 128.7 131.4 145.3

Jan 2012

114.3 140.1 132.8 123.6 128.8 131.4 147.3

Feb 2012

114.8 139.9 132.9 123.7 129.7 131.6 147.6

Mar 2012

115.7 139.9 132.9 123.7 130.0 131.6 148.2

Apr 2012

116.0 139.9 132.9 123.9 130.1 131.6 148.6

May 2012

115.9 140.1 133.0 124.0 130.4 131.8 149.6

Jun 2012

115.7 140.1 133.4 124.0 130.9 131.9 149.7

Jul 2012

115.5 141.4 134.3 124.4 131.0 132.6 152.6

Aug 2012

116.2 144.2 136.1 124.8 131.7 135.2 154.7

Sep 2012

116.7 145.7 137.2 126.1 132.5 136.4 156.2

Oct 2012

116.7 146.0 137.4 126.2 132.6 136.8 156.5

Nov 2012

116.1 145.9 137.4 126.3 132.4 136.9 157.2

Dec 2012

115.8 145.8 137.4 126.4 132.4 136.9 156.8

Jan 2013

116.1 146.4 137.5 127.1 133.6 137.1 159.0

Feb 2013

117.1 146.3 137.5 127.1 133.7 137.1 159.1

Mar 2013

117.4 146.3 137.5 127.2 134.0 137.2 159.7

Apr 2013

117.3 146.3 137.5 127.3 134.1 137.2 159.8

May 2013

117.5 146.3 137.6 127.4 134.2 137.4 160.5

Jun 2013

117.8 146.4 138.1 127.2 134.2 137.5 160.7

Jul 2013

117.8 147.3 139.2 127.5 134.6 137.9 161.6

Aug 2013

117.9 150.2 141.4 127.8 135.4 139.8 161.0

Sep 2013

118.1 151.1 142.6 128.7 135.8 141.0 163.4

Oct 2013

117.8 151.3 142.7 128.8 136.1 141.4 165.0

Nov 2013

117.5 151.5 142.7 129.0 136.2 141.5 165.4

Dec 2013

117.5 151.5 142.7 129.1 136.4 141.5 165.7

Jan 2014

118.0 151.6 142.7 128.9 136.1 141.6 163.4

Feb 2014

118.4 152.0 142.7 129.0 136.0 141.7 164.6

Mar 2014

119.2 152.0 142.7 129.7 136.1 141.8 164.0

Apr 2014

119.6 152.1 142.7 129.7 136.3 141.8 165.4

May 2014

120.0 152.2 143.1 129.9 136.8 141.8 165.9

Jun 2014

120.2 152.5 143.7 130.0 137.0 141.9 165.5

Jul 2014

120.1 153.1 144.9 130.1 137.3 142.3 166.4

Aug 2014

119.9 155.2 146.7 130.9 138.1 143.8 170.0

Sep 2014

120.0 156.2 148.2 132.0 138.2 144.9 171.7

Oct 2014

119.7 156.6 148.2 132.1 138.7 145.3 172.9

Nov 2014

119.1 156.8 148.3 132.2 138.8 145.4 172.8

Dec 2014

118.4 156.7 148.3 132.0 138.8 145.4 174.1

Jan 2015

117.9 157.1 148.3 132.8 138.8 145.5 175.6

Feb 2015

118.4 157.0 148.3 132.9 138.8 145.8 175.0

Mar 2015

119.1 157.1 148.4 134.1 138.8 145.5 175.8

Apr 2015

119.3 157.3 148.4 135.1 138.4 145.5 176.0

May 2015

119.9 157.3 148.9 135.3 138.9 145.5 176.2

Jun 2015

120.3 157.7 149.5 135.6 139.1 145.7 174.7

Jul 2015

120.3 158.4 150.4 135.9 139.5 146.4 175.9

Aug 2015

120.2 160.3 152.0 136.5 139.8 147.6 179.2

Sep 2015

120.0 161.9 153.5 137.6 140.1 149.1 180.4

Oct 2015

119.9 162.2 153.7 137.7 140.2 149.6 181.8

Nov 2015

119.7 162.2 153.9 137.7 140.3 149.7 182.3

Dec 2015

119.3 162.2 153.9 137.3 140.4 149.7 183.4

Jan 2016

119.5 161.9 153.9 137.8 140.9 149.8 183.5

Feb 2016

119.6 162.0 154.0 138.1 140.9 149.9 182.1

Mar 2016

120.1 161.9 154.1 138.3 141.0 149.7 181.5

Apr 2016

120.7 162.1 154.2 138.5 141.1 149.7 184.4

May 2016

121.1 162.2 154.3 138.6 141.1 149.8 184.2

Jun 2016

121.6 162.4 154.5 138.8 141.3 150.2 186.8

Jul 2016

121.4 162.7 155.2 139.2 141.7 150.5 187.5

From January 2006 to July 2016, consumer prices for tuition and fees for private elementary and high schools increased 55 percent. Over that period, consumer prices for childcare and nursery schools increased 39 percent.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see “Consumer Price Index — July 2016” (HTML) (PDF).

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, College tuition and fees increase 63 percent since January 2006 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/college-tuition-and-fees-increase-63-percent-since-january-2006.htm (visited March 19, 2024).

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