A year of in-state tuition and fees at a public university costs $11,993 in the U.S. as of October 2026. In 1950 it cost $110, or $1,539 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, a year of college costs 7.8 times as much today as in 1950.
Price at the time In October 2026 dollars
U.S. in-state tuition and fees, four-year public. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $110 | $1,539 |
| 1951 | ≈$115 | ≈$1,497 |
| 1952 | ≈$121 | ≈$1,536 |
| 1953 | ≈$127 | ≈$1,600 |
| 1954 | ≈$133 | ≈$1,679 |
| 1955 | $140 | $1,762 |
| 1956 | ≈$147 | ≈$1,825 |
| 1957 | ≈$155 | ≈$1,858 |
| 1958 | ≈$163 | ≈$1,900 |
| 1959 | ≈$171 | ≈$1,977 |
| 1960 | $180 | $2,051 |
| 1961 | ≈$192 | ≈$2,168 |
| 1962 | ≈$205 | ≈$2,292 |
| 1963 | ≈$219 | ≈$2,416 |
| 1964 | ≈$234 | ≈$2,547 |
| 1965 | $250 | $2,677 |
| 1966 | ≈$269 | ≈$2,791 |
| 1967 | ≈$289 | ≈$2,921 |
| 1968 | ≈$311 | ≈$3,015 |
| 1969 | ≈$335 | ≈$3,076 |
| 1970 | $360 | $3,129 |
| 1971 | ≈$384 | ≈$3,201 |
| 1972 | ≈$411 | ≈$3,313 |
| 1973 | ≈$438 | ≈$3,330 |
| 1974 | ≈$468 | ≈$3,203 |
| 1975 | $500 | $3,134 |
| 1976 | ≈$549 | ≈$3,256 |
| 1977 | ≈$603 | ≈$3,358 |
| 1978 | ≈$663 | ≈$3,429 |
| 1979 | ≈$728 | ≈$3,383 |
| 1980 | $800 | $3,274 |
| 1981 | ≈$882 | ≈$3,271 |
| 1982 | ≈$971 | ≈$3,395 |
| 1983 | ≈$1,071 | ≈$3,625 |
| 1984 | ≈$1,180 | ≈$3,829 |
| 1985 | $1,300 | $4,075 |
| 1986 | ≈$1,403 | ≈$4,316 |
| 1987 | ≈$1,513 | ≈$4,492 |
| 1988 | ≈$1,632 | ≈$4,654 |
| 1989 | ≈$1,761 | ≈$4,790 |
| 1990 | $1,900 | $4,903 |
| 1991 | ≈$2,053 | ≈$5,084 |
| 1992 | ≈$2,219 | ≈$5,334 |
| 1993 | ≈$2,398 | ≈$5,596 |
| 1994 | ≈$2,591 | ≈$5,897 |
| 1995 | $2,800 | $6,196 |
| 1996 | ≈$2,928 | ≈$6,297 |
| 1997 | ≈$3,061 | ≈$6,433 |
| 1998 | ≈$3,201 | ≈$6,623 |
| 1999 | ≈$3,347 | ≈$6,776 |
| 2000 | $3,500 | $6,855 |
| 2001 | ≈$3,831 | ≈$7,296 |
| 2002 | ≈$4,194 | ≈$7,862 |
| 2003 | ≈$4,590 | ≈$8,414 |
| 2004 | ≈$5,025 | ≈$8,971 |
| 2005 | $5,500 | $9,498 |
| 2006 | ≈$5,867 | ≈$9,816 |
| 2007 | ≈$6,260 | ≈$10,184 |
| 2008 | ≈$6,678 | ≈$10,461 |
| 2009 | ≈$7,124 | ≈$11,201 |
| 2010 | $7,600 | $11,752 |
| 2011 | ≈$7,879 | ≈$11,815 |
| 2012 | ≈$8,168 | ≈$11,998 |
| 2013 | ≈$8,467 | ≈$12,256 |
| 2014 | ≈$8,778 | ≈$12,507 |
| 2015 | $9,100 | $12,950 |
| 2016 | ≈$9,363 | ≈$13,158 |
| 2017 | ≈$9,634 | ≈$13,257 |
| 2018 | ≈$9,913 | ≈$13,315 |
| 2019 | $10,200 | $13,454 |
| 2020 | $10,600 | $13,827 |
| 2021 | ≈$10,749 | ≈$13,306 |
| 2022 | $10,900 | $12,407 |
| 2023 | $11,100 | $12,256 |
| 2024 | $11,300 | $12,122 |
| 2025 | $11,550 | $12,066 |
| Oct 2026 (latest) | $11,993 | $11,993 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of October 2026. Partly scaled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the metro area, or the rural part of the state outside metros.
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $12,387 |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | $12,387 |
| Middletown, NY | $12,387 |
| Newburgh, NY | $12,387 |
| New York, NY | $12,368 |
| North Liberty, IA | $11,665 |
| Altoona, IA | $11,665 |
| Coralville, IA | $11,665 |
| Muscatine, IA | $11,665 |
| Burlington, IA | $11,665 |
College Board, Trends in College Pricing; National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, for earlier years.
For cities: Partly scaled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the metro area, or the rural part of the state outside metros.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
Cost of daycare by yearFamily health insurance premiums by yearCost of having a baby by yearAverage wedding cost by year
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.