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Cost of college tuition has remained stable since September 2019
August 31, 2021
Back-to-school season is here! Whether your kids are off to childcare or nursery school, private elementary or high school, or college, paying for tuition, housing, textbooks, and other school-related expenses may pose a challenge to the family budget. From July 2011 to September 2019, consumer prices for college tuition and fees increased 32.0 percent. Since then, college tuition and fees have remained stable, while prices for all items have increased. Over the last 10 years, consumer prices for elementary and high school tuition and fees increased 41.8 percent.
Consumer price indexes for tuition and school-related items, not seasonally adjusted, July 2011–July 2021 (July 2011 = 100)
Month
All items
College tuition and fees
Elementary and high school tuition and fees
Childcare and nursery school
Technical and business school tuition and fees
Housing at school, excluding board
College textbooks
Jul 2011
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
Aug 2011
100.3
103.2
101.1
100.5
101.3
102.0
101.1
Sep 2011
100.4
104.4
102.2
101.0
101.2
102.9
102.7
Oct 2011
100.2
104.3
102.2
101.8
101.4
103.1
102.9
Nov 2011
100.1
104.5
102.2
101.4
101.4
103.1
103.2
Dec 2011
99.9
104.5
102.2
101.4
101.5
103.1
102.9
Jan 2012
100.3
104.4
102.2
101.8
101.6
103.1
104.3
Feb 2012
100.8
104.3
102.3
101.9
102.3
103.2
104.5
Mar 2012
101.5
104.3
102.3
102.0
102.5
103.2
105.0
Apr 2012
101.8
104.2
102.3
102.1
102.6
103.3
105.3
May 2012
101.7
104.4
102.4
102.2
102.8
103.4
106.0
Jun 2012
101.6
104.4
102.7
102.1
103.2
103.5
106.0
Jul 2012
101.4
105.4
103.3
102.5
103.3
104.0
108.1
Aug 2012
102.0
107.5
104.7
102.8
103.9
106.1
109.6
Sep 2012
102.4
108.6
105.6
103.9
104.5
107.0
110.7
Oct 2012
102.4
108.8
105.7
104.0
104.6
107.3
110.9
Nov 2012
101.9
108.7
105.8
104.0
104.4
107.4
111.4
Dec 2012
101.6
108.7
105.8
104.1
104.4
107.4
111.1
Jan 2013
101.9
109.1
105.8
104.7
105.4
107.6
112.6
Feb 2013
102.8
109.1
105.8
104.7
105.4
107.6
112.7
Mar 2013
103.0
109.0
105.9
104.8
105.6
107.6
113.1
Apr 2013
102.9
109.0
105.8
104.9
105.8
107.7
113.2
May 2013
103.1
109.1
105.9
105.0
105.9
107.8
113.7
Jun 2013
103.4
109.2
106.3
104.8
105.8
107.9
113.9
Jul 2013
103.4
109.8
107.2
105.0
106.1
108.2
114.5
Aug 2013
103.5
111.9
108.8
105.3
106.8
109.7
114.1
Sep 2013
103.6
112.6
109.8
106.0
107.1
110.7
115.7
Oct 2013
103.4
112.8
109.9
106.2
107.3
110.9
116.9
Nov 2013
103.2
113.0
109.8
106.3
107.4
111.0
117.2
Dec 2013
103.2
112.9
109.8
106.4
107.5
111.0
117.4
Jan 2014
103.5
113.0
109.8
106.2
107.3
111.1
115.8
Feb 2014
103.9
113.3
109.8
106.3
107.2
111.2
116.6
Mar 2014
104.6
113.3
109.8
106.8
107.3
111.2
116.2
Apr 2014
104.9
113.4
109.8
106.9
107.5
111.3
117.2
May 2014
105.3
113.4
110.1
107.1
107.9
111.3
117.6
Jun 2014
105.5
113.7
110.6
107.1
108.0
111.3
117.3
Jul 2014
105.5
114.1
111.5
107.2
108.3
111.7
117.9
Aug 2014
105.3
115.7
112.9
107.8
108.9
112.9
120.4
Sep 2014
105.4
116.4
114.1
108.8
109.0
113.7
121.6
Oct 2014
105.1
116.8
114.1
108.8
109.4
114.0
122.5
Nov 2014
104.5
116.9
114.2
108.9
109.4
114.1
122.4
Dec 2014
103.9
116.8
114.2
108.7
109.5
114.1
123.3
Jan 2015
103.4
117.1
114.2
109.5
109.5
114.2
124.4
Feb 2015
103.9
117.1
114.2
109.5
109.5
114.4
124.0
Mar 2015
104.5
117.1
114.2
110.5
109.5
114.2
124.5
Apr 2015
104.7
117.2
114.2
111.3
109.2
114.2
124.7
May 2015
105.3
117.3
114.6
111.5
109.5
114.2
124.8
Jun 2015
105.6
117.6
115.0
111.7
109.7
114.3
123.8
Jul 2015
105.6
118.1
115.8
112.0
110.0
114.9
124.6
Aug 2015
105.5
119.5
117.0
112.4
110.3
115.8
127.0
Sep 2015
105.3
120.7
118.1
113.4
110.5
117.0
127.8
Oct 2015
105.3
120.9
118.3
113.4
110.6
117.4
128.8
Nov 2015
105.1
120.9
118.5
113.5
110.6
117.4
129.2
Dec 2015
104.7
120.9
118.4
113.2
110.8
117.5
129.9
Jan 2016
104.9
120.7
118.5
113.6
111.1
117.5
130.0
Feb 2016
105.0
120.8
118.5
113.8
111.1
117.6
129.0
Mar 2016
105.4
120.7
118.6
114.0
111.2
117.5
128.6
Apr 2016
105.9
120.8
118.7
114.1
111.3
117.5
130.6
May 2016
106.3
120.9
118.8
114.2
111.3
117.5
130.5
Jun 2016
106.7
121.1
118.9
114.4
111.4
117.8
132.3
Jul 2016
106.5
121.3
119.5
114.7
111.8
118.1
132.8
Aug 2016
106.6
122.3
120.8
115.5
112.2
119.4
135.0
Sep 2016
106.9
123.3
121.7
116.1
112.6
120.3
135.9
Oct 2016
107.0
123.6
122.4
116.5
112.6
120.5
136.4
Nov 2016
106.8
123.5
122.6
116.4
112.6
121.0
137.8
Dec 2016
106.9
123.8
122.6
116.4
112.6
121.0
137.8
Jan 2017
107.5
123.2
122.6
117.2
114.4
121.1
136.0
Feb 2017
107.8
123.2
122.6
117.4
114.5
121.2
137.4
Mar 2017
107.9
123.0
122.5
117.6
114.8
121.1
138.3
Apr 2017
108.2
123.0
122.6
117.6
115.0
121.1
136.6
May 2017
108.3
123.0
123.0
117.6
114.5
121.1
135.4
Jun 2017
108.4
123.4
123.4
117.7
114.5
121.2
135.6
Jul 2017
108.3
123.6
123.9
117.6
114.8
121.4
137.3
Aug 2017
108.7
124.6
125.3
118.0
116.1
122.3
137.2
Sep 2017
109.2
125.9
126.5
118.6
116.3
123.1
134.7
Oct 2017
109.2
126.3
126.8
118.7
116.4
123.3
135.5
Nov 2017
109.2
126.4
127.0
118.6
116.5
123.3
137.9
Dec 2017
109.1
126.4
127.0
118.5
116.5
123.5
136.3
Jan 2018
109.7
125.9
127.0
118.8
116.6
123.5
135.1
Feb 2018
110.2
125.8
127.1
119.1
116.7
123.5
136.7
Mar 2018
110.5
125.1
127.2
119.1
116.8
123.5
137.3
Apr 2018
110.9
125.1
127.3
119.2
116.8
123.6
136.2
May 2018
111.4
125.1
127.4
119.3
117.2
123.5
140.6
Jun 2018
111.5
125.5
127.8
119.6
117.4
123.6
138.8
Jul 2018
111.5
126.2
128.8
119.3
118.3
123.8
139.5
Aug 2018
111.6
128.0
131.3
120.4
118.8
125.3
137.9
Sep 2018
111.7
128.9
132.7
121.0
118.4
126.2
138.3
Oct 2018
111.9
129.7
132.7
120.5
119.0
126.5
138.8
Nov 2018
111.6
129.9
132.7
120.6
119.0
126.6
138.8
Dec 2018
111.2
129.8
132.6
120.7
119.0
126.6
136.0
Jan 2019
111.4
129.6
132.6
121.3
118.6
126.7
134.2
Feb 2019
111.9
129.7
132.7
121.7
118.5
126.6
135.3
Mar 2019
112.5
129.9
132.7
121.9
117.9
126.6
135.2
Apr 2019
113.1
129.9
132.8
121.9
118.5
126.6
135.7
May 2019
113.4
129.9
132.7
122.6
119.0
126.7
134.7
Jun 2019
113.4
129.9
133.1
123.0
119.5
126.8
135.4
Jul 2019
113.6
129.8
134.0
123.3
120.5
127.0
134.0
Aug 2019
113.6
131.2
135.2
123.6
118.4
128.0
136.8
Sep 2019
113.6
132.0
135.6
124.5
119.5
129.0
133.7
Oct 2019
113.9
132.3
136.2
124.6
119.7
129.2
132.9
Nov 2019
113.8
132.3
136.2
124.6
119.7
129.2
133.5
Dec 2019
113.7
132.0
136.2
124.8
119.7
129.5
133.7
Jan 2020
114.2
132.1
136.2
125.2
120.1
129.6
130.0
Feb 2020
114.5
132.1
136.2
126.0
120.3
129.6
131.1
Mar 2020
114.2
132.1
136.3
126.1
120.4
129.6
131.3
Apr 2020
113.5
132.1
136.7
126.1
121.1
129.6
132.6
May 2020
113.5
132.0
137.1
126.1
121.2
129.6
132.5
Jun 2020
114.1
132.1
136.8
126.6
121.9
129.7
132.2
Jul 2020
114.7
132.5
137.0
126.8
122.8
130.0
132.9
Aug 2020
115.0
132.9
138.5
126.9
122.6
130.7
133.9
Sep 2020
115.2
133.0
139.5
127.4
122.3
131.9
133.5
Oct 2020
115.3
133.1
139.5
127.5
123.1
132.3
133.4
Nov 2020
115.2
133.0
139.4
127.5
123.1
132.3
132.8
Dec 2020
115.3
133.0
139.4
127.6
123.0
132.3
133.8
Jan 2021
115.8
132.7
139.4
127.8
123.2
132.3
133.6
Feb 2021
116.4
132.7
139.4
128.2
123.0
132.4
135.4
Mar 2021
117.2
132.5
139.5
127.1
122.6
132.3
132.3
Apr 2021
118.2
132.5
139.6
127.4
123.0
132.3
133.6
May 2021
119.2
132.5
140.5
128.1
122.9
132.4
134.3
Jun 2021
120.3
132.7
141.1
128.5
123.1
132.5
134.5
Jul 2021
120.8
132.8
141.8
128.9
124.2
132.8
135.5
From July 2011 to March 2018, consumer prices for college textbooks increased 40.6 percent. After steadily decreasing from March 2018 to January 2020, prices for college textbooks have increased since January 2020 but remain well below March 2018 levels. Since July 2011, prices for childcare and nursery school increased 28.9 percent and are at their highest over the last decade.
United States Department of Labor
