College tuition and fees increase 63 percent since January 2006

Back to school season is here! Whether your kids are off to nursery school, college, or a private elementary or high school, paying for tuition, housing, textbooks, and other school-related expenses may pose a challenge to the family budget. From January 2006 to July 2016, the Consumer Price Index for college tuition and fees increased 63 percent, compared with an increase of 21 percent for all items. Over that period, consumer prices for college textbooks increased 88 percent and housing at school (excluding board) increased 51 percent.

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Chart Data Consumer price indexes for tuition and school-related items, not seasonally adjusted, January 2006–July 2016 (January 2006 = 100) Month All items College tuition

and fees Elementary

and high school

tuition and fees Child care and

nursery school Technical and

business school

tuition and fees Housing at school,

excluding board College

textbooks Jan 2006 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Feb 2006 100.2 100.0 100.0 99.9 100.0 100.0 100.8 Mar 2006 100.8 100.0 100.1 99.9 100.1 99.9 101.0 Apr 2006 101.6 100.1 100.3 100.0 100.2 99.9 101.0 May 2006 102.1 100.3 100.5 100.0 101.1 100.6 101.5 Jun 2006 102.3 100.6 101.2 100.4 101.5 100.8 102.1 Jul 2006 102.6 101.3 101.8 100.8 102.1 101.1 102.0 Aug 2006 102.8 104.2 104.7 101.6 102.9 103.0 103.2 Sep 2006 102.3 106.2 105.9 103.6 103.2 104.7 104.0 Oct 2006 101.8 106.5 105.9 103.9 103.2 105.0 105.1 Nov 2006 101.6 106.8 105.8 103.9 103.4 105.0 105.1 Dec 2006 101.8 106.8 105.9 104.1 103.9 105.0 105.4 Jan 2007 102.1 106.6 105.9 104.3 103.1 105.1 107.1 Feb 2007 102.6 106.7 106.1 104.6 103.4 105.2 107.7 Mar 2007 103.6 106.7 106.1 104.6 104.4 105.3 109.3 Apr 2007 104.2 106.6 106.1 104.8 104.1 105.3 109.4 May 2007 104.9 106.8 106.3 104.8 105.1 105.9 109.6 Jun 2007 105.1 106.9 106.7 104.8 105.5 105.9 109.9 Jul 2007 105.0 107.6 107.2 105.3 104.4 106.4 110.6 Aug 2007 104.8 110.4 109.8 105.6 107.2 108.5 113.0 Sep 2007 105.1 112.0 111.1 107.9 107.7 110.2 113.8 Oct 2007 105.4 112.9 111.4 108.0 108.2 110.4 114.2 Nov 2007 106.0 113.3 111.7 108.0 108.5 110.4 114.1 Dec 2007 105.9 113.3 111.7 108.1 109.1 110.4 114.9 Jan 2008 106.4 113.4 111.7 109.0 108.4 110.5 115.9 Feb 2008 106.8 113.3 111.7 109.1 108.3 110.5 116.3 Mar 2008 107.7 113.2 111.9 109.1 108.4 110.5 116.6 Apr 2008 108.3 113.4 112.0 109.1 108.8 110.5 117.1 May 2008 109.2 113.6 112.3 109.2 109.5 110.8 117.5 Jun 2008 110.3 113.7 112.7 109.5 110.7 110.9 117.6 Jul 2008 110.9 114.4 113.3 109.8 111.1 111.3 117.9 Aug 2008 110.5 117.4 116.2 111.0 112.5 113.7 122.0 Sep 2008 110.3 119.5 118.0 112.8 112.9 115.1 123.1 Oct 2008 109.2 119.8 118.3 113.3 112.6 115.5 123.4 Nov 2008 107.1 119.9 118.5 113.3 112.6 115.6 123.0 Dec 2008 106.0 119.9 118.5 113.5 112.8 115.6 123.5 Jan 2009 106.5 120.0 118.5 113.8 112.9 115.9 124.6 Feb 2009 107.0 119.9 118.5 113.9 113.2 116.1 125.0 Mar 2009 107.3 119.8 118.6 114.0 113.5 116.1 125.7 Apr 2009 107.5 119.9 118.7 114.0 113.6 116.2 125.9 May 2009 107.8 120.3 118.8 114.0 115.2 116.2 125.9 Jun 2009 108.8 120.4 119.0 114.2 115.8 116.2 127.1 Jul 2009 108.6 121.1 119.8 114.4 117.0 116.9 128.4 Aug 2009 108.8 125.1 122.2 114.7 117.9 119.7 130.6 Sep 2009 108.9 127.1 123.3 116.0 116.8 121.0 131.7 Oct 2009 109.0 127.5 123.2 116.0 116.8 121.3 131.8 Nov 2009 109.1 127.1 123.2 116.0 116.8 121.4 132.3 Dec 2009 108.9 127.1 123.2 116.1 117.1 121.4 132.6 Jan 2010 109.3 126.9 123.2 116.4 117.0 121.6 133.7 Feb 2010 109.3 126.8 123.3 117.2 117.2 121.6 134.5 Mar 2010 109.7 127.0 123.5 117.4 117.4 121.6 134.5 Apr 2010 109.9 127.2 123.6 117.8 118.0 121.6 134.1 May 2010 110.0 127.3 123.7 117.7 118.3 121.8 134.5 Jun 2010 109.9 127.4 124.0 118.1 119.4 121.9 135.1 Jul 2010 109.9 128.1 125.1 118.3 120.5 122.3 135.1 Aug 2010 110.1 131.5 126.5 118.9 121.1 125.1 135.3 Sep 2010 110.2 132.7 128.1 120.0 121.7 126.2 136.3 Oct 2010 110.3 132.3 128.0 119.8 121.8 126.5 136.7 Nov 2010 110.3 132.4 128.0 119.9 121.8 126.5 136.6 Dec 2010 110.5 132.2 128.0 120.4 121.9 126.5 137.7 Jan 2011 111.1 132.7 128.0 120.7 122.1 126.7 139.9 Feb 2011 111.6 132.8 128.0 120.8 122.1 126.7 139.7 Mar 2011 112.7 132.8 128.2 120.8 122.1 126.8 140.3 Apr 2011 113.4 132.7 128.2 121.0 123.8 126.8 140.4 May 2011 114.0 133.1 128.3 121.1 123.9 126.9 140.6 Jun 2011 113.8 133.0 128.8 121.2 124.7 127.0 140.7 Jul 2011 113.9 134.2 129.9 121.4 126.8 127.5 141.2 Aug 2011 114.2 138.4 131.3 122.0 128.5 130.0 142.7 Sep 2011 114.4 140.0 132.8 122.6 128.4 131.2 145.0 Oct 2011 114.2 139.9 132.8 123.5 128.5 131.4 145.2 Nov 2011 114.1 140.2 132.8 123.0 128.5 131.4 145.6 Dec 2011 113.8 140.2 132.8 123.1 128.7 131.4 145.3 Jan 2012 114.3 140.1 132.8 123.6 128.8 131.4 147.3 Feb 2012 114.8 139.9 132.9 123.7 129.7 131.6 147.6 Mar 2012 115.7 139.9 132.9 123.7 130.0 131.6 148.2 Apr 2012 116.0 139.9 132.9 123.9 130.1 131.6 148.6 May 2012 115.9 140.1 133.0 124.0 130.4 131.8 149.6 Jun 2012 115.7 140.1 133.4 124.0 130.9 131.9 149.7 Jul 2012 115.5 141.4 134.3 124.4 131.0 132.6 152.6 Aug 2012 116.2 144.2 136.1 124.8 131.7 135.2 154.7 Sep 2012 116.7 145.7 137.2 126.1 132.5 136.4 156.2 Oct 2012 116.7 146.0 137.4 126.2 132.6 136.8 156.5 Nov 2012 116.1 145.9 137.4 126.3 132.4 136.9 157.2 Dec 2012 115.8 145.8 137.4 126.4 132.4 136.9 156.8 Jan 2013 116.1 146.4 137.5 127.1 133.6 137.1 159.0 Feb 2013 117.1 146.3 137.5 127.1 133.7 137.1 159.1 Mar 2013 117.4 146.3 137.5 127.2 134.0 137.2 159.7 Apr 2013 117.3 146.3 137.5 127.3 134.1 137.2 159.8 May 2013 117.5 146.3 137.6 127.4 134.2 137.4 160.5 Jun 2013 117.8 146.4 138.1 127.2 134.2 137.5 160.7 Jul 2013 117.8 147.3 139.2 127.5 134.6 137.9 161.6 Aug 2013 117.9 150.2 141.4 127.8 135.4 139.8 161.0 Sep 2013 118.1 151.1 142.6 128.7 135.8 141.0 163.4 Oct 2013 117.8 151.3 142.7 128.8 136.1 141.4 165.0 Nov 2013 117.5 151.5 142.7 129.0 136.2 141.5 165.4 Dec 2013 117.5 151.5 142.7 129.1 136.4 141.5 165.7 Jan 2014 118.0 151.6 142.7 128.9 136.1 141.6 163.4 Feb 2014 118.4 152.0 142.7 129.0 136.0 141.7 164.6 Mar 2014 119.2 152.0 142.7 129.7 136.1 141.8 164.0 Apr 2014 119.6 152.1 142.7 129.7 136.3 141.8 165.4 May 2014 120.0 152.2 143.1 129.9 136.8 141.8 165.9 Jun 2014 120.2 152.5 143.7 130.0 137.0 141.9 165.5 Jul 2014 120.1 153.1 144.9 130.1 137.3 142.3 166.4 Aug 2014 119.9 155.2 146.7 130.9 138.1 143.8 170.0 Sep 2014 120.0 156.2 148.2 132.0 138.2 144.9 171.7 Oct 2014 119.7 156.6 148.2 132.1 138.7 145.3 172.9 Nov 2014 119.1 156.8 148.3 132.2 138.8 145.4 172.8 Dec 2014 118.4 156.7 148.3 132.0 138.8 145.4 174.1 Jan 2015 117.9 157.1 148.3 132.8 138.8 145.5 175.6 Feb 2015 118.4 157.0 148.3 132.9 138.8 145.8 175.0 Mar 2015 119.1 157.1 148.4 134.1 138.8 145.5 175.8 Apr 2015 119.3 157.3 148.4 135.1 138.4 145.5 176.0 May 2015 119.9 157.3 148.9 135.3 138.9 145.5 176.2 Jun 2015 120.3 157.7 149.5 135.6 139.1 145.7 174.7 Jul 2015 120.3 158.4 150.4 135.9 139.5 146.4 175.9 Aug 2015 120.2 160.3 152.0 136.5 139.8 147.6 179.2 Sep 2015 120.0 161.9 153.5 137.6 140.1 149.1 180.4 Oct 2015 119.9 162.2 153.7 137.7 140.2 149.6 181.8 Nov 2015 119.7 162.2 153.9 137.7 140.3 149.7 182.3 Dec 2015 119.3 162.2 153.9 137.3 140.4 149.7 183.4 Jan 2016 119.5 161.9 153.9 137.8 140.9 149.8 183.5 Feb 2016 119.6 162.0 154.0 138.1 140.9 149.9 182.1 Mar 2016 120.1 161.9 154.1 138.3 141.0 149.7 181.5 Apr 2016 120.7 162.1 154.2 138.5 141.1 149.7 184.4 May 2016 121.1 162.2 154.3 138.6 141.1 149.8 184.2 Jun 2016 121.6 162.4 154.5 138.8 141.3 150.2 186.8 Jul 2016 121.4 162.7 155.2 139.2 141.7 150.5 187.5

From January 2006 to July 2016, consumer prices for tuition and fees for private elementary and high schools increased 55 percent. Over that period, consumer prices for childcare and nursery schools increased 39 percent.

These data are from the BLS Consumer Price Index program and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see “Consumer Price Index — July 2016” (HTML) (PDF).

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