What Price College?

The latest annual ballet of college spending is playing out as regularly as The Nutcracker does at Christmastime.  “Although average published tuition and fees increased by about 24% at public four‑year colleges and universities from 2005‑06 to 2010‑11, by 17% at private nonprofit four‑year institutions, and by 11% at public two‑year colleges, average net price for full‑time students, after considering grant aid and federal tax benefits, declined in each sector over this five‑year period, after adjusting for inflation,” the College Board reports. “As documented in Trends in Student Aid 2010, total grant aid per full-time equivalent (FTE) undergraduate student increased by about $1,100 (22%) in 2009-10, largely because of increases in federal Pell Grants and Veterans’ Benefits.”

“When room and board costs are also considered, total net cost of attendance is about $600 higher in inflation-adjusted dollars at public four-year colleges than it was in 2005-06, but it has not increased at private nonprofit four-year or public two-year institutions.”

Meanwhile, a Chronicle of Higher Education review, “which included 448 chief executives found 30 private college leaders, who received more than $1 million in total compensation.”

“In the previous year’s report, 23 chief executives earned over $1 million.”

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.

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