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Key points

  • Your tuition cost could vary widely depending on whether you attend an in-state or out-of-state school, public college or private university, among other factors.
  • Cost of attendance is a more useful figure than tuition because it accounts for other fees.
  • Tuition has far outpaced inflation since the 1960s, forcing families to rely on financial aid.

Every college charges a different price for attending that school. Some have more fees than others, but one thing that’s standard across the board is tuition.

Tuition is what you pay to attend classes and courses at a school. Some schools charge a flat rate for tuition while others charge based on per credit hour.

It’s important to know that the cost of college includes tuition, but tuition doesn’t encompass the entire cost of college.

“Tuition includes your attendance at classes as well as the professor’s office hours so that you may seek extra help and guidance as it pertains to… academic courses,” says Vicki Vollweiler, the founder of College Financial Prep. “Tuition does not include other expenditures at college, such as room and board, lab fees, parking fees and other miscellaneous fees and costs.”

How does tuition work?

Tuition payments are part of your overall cost of attendance, but cost of attendance varies by factors like…

  • How many courses you’re taking.
  • If you live on campus.
  • If you’re an out-of-state or international student.

Tuition payments are made when you pay your cost of attendance to the school. And each school is different in how they handle tuition charges.

“Unfortunately, there is not usually anything standardized from one college to the next,” says Vollweiler. “However, all colleges are independent of one another and each sets its own pricing.”

Vollweiler says in most cases, attending a public, in-state school is less expensive than going out of state or to a private institution. But the cost you’re charged and what you pay might be wildly different based on how much you earn in scholarships and grants or other financial aid.

Tuition examples

What you pay at one school can be wildly different compared to another. Here’s a breakdown of different schools in North Carolina based on tuition, general fees and total costs for residents and non-residents. Remember these are estimates and can change based on a variety of factors.

SCHOOLTUITIONATHLETIC FEESTUDENT ACTIVITY FEETOTAL FOR RESIDENTSTOTAL FOR NONRESIDENTS
NC State University
$6,535 (Resident) $28,276 (Non-resident)
$232
$707.97
$8,918.25
$30,659.25
UNC Chapel Hill
$7,019 (Resident) $35,580 (Non-resident)
$279
$394.16
$8,751.46
$37,312.46
East Carolina University
$4,452 (Resident) $20,729 (Non-resident)
$773
$702
$7,154
$23,431
Winston-Salem University
$3,401 (Resident) $14,057 (Non-resident)
$780
$545.70
$5,966.16
$16,622.60
Western Carolina University
$1,000 (Resident) $5,000 (Non-resident)
$868
$632
$3,977
$7,977

While many private colleges and universities seem more expensive than public universities, depending on the generosity of the college in terms of need-based aid and merit scholarships, the final cost may be lower than originally anticipated,” says Vollweiler.

For example, Duke University charges more than $60,000 in tuition and fees. But Duke students pay on a sliding scale based on their family’s income. One in five freshmen attends Duke tuition-free. While the sticker price is much higher to attend a private university like Duke, many students receive need-based scholarships and might end up paying much less than their public university counterparts.

History of rising tuition

Tuition makes up the majority of the costs associated with college, but it’s not the only cost. Most students’ tuition runs about 53% of their total cost of attendance. That means lodging, transportation, supplies and fees make up the rest of the total cost.

Tuition at most schools has gone up more than students can afford. Adjusting for inflation, tuition has risen more than 355% from 1963 to 2020. But in the last 20 years, tuition costs have surpassed inflation by more than 86%.

In 1970, most students were paying the same amount to go to school regardless of which kind of school they went to and what type of student they were. Today, a private, two-year degree is one-fourth the cost to attend a private, 4-year institution.

Tuition vs. cost of attendance: What’s the difference?

It’s easy to get confused about the difference between tuition and the cost of attendance. After all, tuition makes up the majority of your cost of attendance.

“Tuition is the sum of money a college or university charges for teaching or instruction,” says Vollweiler. “The cost of attendance (COA) is when you add up all of the associated college costs such as tuition, room and board, fees, books and other personal expenses and then subtract the number of grants, scholarships, work-study and student loans that are offered to the student.”

COA = Tuition and other expenses – Financial aid

Even with an estimate, everyone’s cost of attendance is different. What one person pays as an in-state, on-campus resident is a lot different than a returning student who lives off-campus, a graduate student or an international student. Remember that estimates are just educated guesses until your financial aid is processed.

Tip: When reviewing potential schools, remember that tuition and cost of attendance are different. You might find that you get more financial aid if you attend one school compared to another and there’s a chance you could pay less out-of-pocket for a private school compared to a public university. It’s important to compare the total cost to attend each school you’re looking at, not just the tuition.

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Dori Zinn

BLUEPRINT

Dori has covered personal finance for more than a decade. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Forbes, CNET, TIME, Yahoo, and others. She loves helping people learn about money, and gravitates toward topics that give people the tools they need to financially succeed. She likes writing about budgeting, college affordability, jobs and careers, and the mental and emotional impact of money.