Median Income Is Down,
But Public College Tuition Is Way Up
Public colleges play a special role in making higher education affordable, but in recent years, soaring tuition is pushing that dream out of reach. From 2000 to 2014, the average cost of in-state tuition and fees for public colleges in America rose 80 percent. During that same time period, the median American household income dropped by 7 percent.
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Change in Yearly Tuition at Public Colleges Since 2000 (%)
All dollar amounts adjusted to 2014 dollars. Tuition includes fees.
Tuition is
Change in Median Household Income Since 2000 (%)
All dollar amounts adjusted to 2014 dollars.
Household income is
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Highest Increase at 4-Year Public Schools
| School | State | Tuition and Fees 2000-01 | Tuition and Fees 2014-15 | Change since 2000 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern New Mexico College | NM | $885 | $4,060 | 358.7 |
| University of Arizona | AZ | $3,217 | $10,581 | 228.9 |
| Arizona State University-Tempe | AZ | $3,214 | $10,127 | 215.1 |
| Louisiana State University-Alexandria | LA | $1,914 | $6,009 | 214.0 |
| University of South Carolina-Beaufort | SC | $3,014 | $9,404 | 212.0 |
| Arizona State University-Polytechnic | AZ | $3,146 | $9,811 | 211.9 |
| California State University-San Marcos | CA | $2,337 | $7,169 | 206.7 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $2,917 | $8,918 | 205.8 |
| Arizona State University - West | AZ | $3,213 | $9,811 | 205.4 |
Lowest Increase at 4-Year Public Schools
| School | State | Tuition and Fees 2000-01 | Tuition and Fees 2014-15 | Change since 2000 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans | LA | $8,027 | $5,540 | -31.0 |
| Georgia Highlands College | GA | $2,691 | $2,595 | -3.6 |
| Palm Beach State College | FL | $2,329 | $2,378 | 2.1 |
| College of Central Florida | FL | $2,506 | $2,570 | 2.6 |
| Virginia Military Institute | VA | $14,675 | $15,518 | 5.7 |
| SUNY Downstate Medical Center | NY | $6,325 | $6,765 | 7.0 |
| University of Maryland-University College | MD | $6,280 | $6,744 | 7.4 |
| SUNY Maritime College | NY | $6,645 | $7,446 | 12.1 |
| University of Wyoming | WY | $3,528 | $3,968 | 12.5 |
| Potomac State College of West Virginia University | WV | $3,006 | $3,480 | 15.8 |
| School | Tuition and Fees 2000-01 | Tuition and Fees 2014-15 | Change since 2000 (%) |
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Notes: All dollar amounts are in 2014 dollars. Tuition amounts are in-state tuition for undergraduates in each academic year. To adjust for inflation in tuition, we relied on Bureau of Labor Statistics data and rounded to two decimal points.
We removed institutions that are tribal colleges, U.S. military schools, online colleges and schools located outside of the 50 states and D.C. Due to misreported data, we've taken Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City out of the app.
Additional design and data analysis by Sisi Wei and Annie Waldman.
We removed institutions that are tribal colleges, U.S. military schools, online colleges and schools located outside of the 50 states and D.C. Due to misreported data, we've taken Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City out of the app.
Additional design and data analysis by Sisi Wei and Annie Waldman.
Sources: Tuition data from National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Department of Education. Median household income data from United States Census Bureau.