College Costs: Public, Private or For-Profit?

The average total cost of attending college in academic year 2016-17 ranged from $14,100 for a student at a public four-year institution who lived off campus with family to $48,900 for an on-campus student at a private nonprofit college.

These figures come from the “The Condition of Education 2018,” published by the National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education.

“At every institutional control category and level, the average total cost of attendance was lowest for students living with family,” the report noted.

The total cost included published tuition and required fees (the lower of in-district or in-state for public institutions), books and supplies, and the weighted average cost for room, board and other expenses.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics