Estimating the Cost of College
It doesn’t take a degree in finance to see that the cost of college continues to rise.
In its 2025 report, the College Board showed that tuition and fees at private non-profit four-year institutions increased by 2% in inflation-adjusted dollars between the 2015-16 and 2025-26 school years.1
For many families, the lion’s share of education costs falls on the parents and, in some cases, the grandparents. Families rely on a combination of scholarships, grants, financial aid, part-time jobs, and parental contributions to help cover the cost. There are also a number of resources that can help individuals prepare for college, such as the College Board website and the government student aid website.
If your child is approaching college age, a good first step is estimating the potential costs. The accompanying chart can help you get a better idea about the cost of college.
1. CollegeBoard.org, October 2025
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