The rising cost of college can make earning an advanced degree seem out of reach for many students today.

According to the College Board's 2018 Trends in College Pricing Report, from 1988 to 2018, prices tripled at public four-year schools and doubled at public two-year and private non-profit four-year schools.

In particular, private schools often get significant attention for having sky-high "sticker prices," which include tuition, fees, room and board. But when the College Board broke down what the average net price of college is today — taking scholarships and grants into account — they found that students typically pay less than the published price.

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, reports that the cost to attend for the 2018-2019 academic year included $54,320 for tuition, $9,120 for rooming, $5,550 for boarding, $2,017 for personal expenses, $1,595 for books, and $1,236 for fees — totaling roughly $73,892.

But for some students, the cost of attending Brown is significantly less.