College and University Blog

Just two years ago, five U.S. colleges made headlines by charging students an astonishing $50,000 per year in tuition, fees, room and board. Last year, 58 schools broke that $50,000 price barrier and according to a Chronicle of Higher Education analysis of data released by the College Board, over 100 colleges and universities are now charging in excess of $50,000 per year.

Sandy Baum, an independent policy analyst for the College Board and co-author of the 2010 Trends in Higher Education Series, says that the tuition increases are due in part to higher health care costs, the rising price of skilled labor and increased spending to approve amenities.

Baum realizes that paying $50,000 or more for a year at school may seem like a lot, particularly in this economy, but most of these universities have been flirting with that sticker price for a while and are crossing into $50,000 territory now only as a result of steady upward increases.

Public College Joins the $50,000 Tuition Club

The 2010-11 academic year is also a milestone because the first public college has joined the list of the most expensive schools in America: the University of California at Berkeley is now charging out-of-state residents $50,649 for tuition, fees, room, and board. The other 99 colleges and universities charging $50,000-plus per year are private institutions.

Thanks to grants, scholarships and tax credits, many students are paying less than sticker price to attend college, but many other students are still struggling to pay for college.

Expensive Colleges will Cause Tuition Hikes at Cheaper Schools

Lynn O

Posted on 03 Nov

Melissa Rhone+

Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.