Total Student Budgets, 2008-09

Published tuition and fees constitute two-thirds of the total student budget for private four-year college students living on campus, but only 17% of total expenses for public two-year college students who live off campus but not with parents. Housing and food are the largest expenses for public two- and four-year college students.

Key Takeaways

Published tuition and fees constitute just over one-third of the total student budget for in-state public four-year college students.
Housing and food are the largest expenses for public two- and four-year college students, constituting 52% and 42% of their budgets, respectively.

The approximately $1,100 per year included for books and supplies in student budgets is about 10% of the budget for two-year public college students, but a much lower proportion for students enrolled in four-year institutions.
Average published tuition and fees at public two-year colleges is 36% of the average for in-state students at public four-year institutions, but the total student budget at two-year colleges is 77% of the total student budget at four-year institutions.

Average published tuition and fees for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities is 26% of the average for private four-year college students, but the total student budget at public institutions is 49% of the student budget at private institutions.

Table 1: Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets, 2008-09 (Enrollment-Weighted)

Sector	Tuition and Fees	Books and Supplies	Room and Board	Transportation	Other Expenses	Total Expenses*
Public Two-Year
On-Campus	$2,402	$1,036	—	—	—	—
Commuter	$2,402	$1,036	$7,341	$1,380	$1,895	$14,054
Public Four-Year
In-State On-Campus	$6,585	$1,077	$7,748	$1,010	$1,906	$18,326
Commuter	$6,585	$1,077	$7,814	$1,401	$2,197	$19,074
Out-of-State On-Campus	$17,452	$1,077	$7,748	$1,010	$1,906	$29,193
Private Four-Year
On-Campus	$25,143	$1,054	$8,989	$807	$1,397	$37,390
Commuter	$25,143	$1,054	$7,696	$1,241	$1,784	$36,918

Enrollment-weighted tuition and fees are derived by weighting the price charged by each institution by the number of full-time students enrolled in 2007-08. Public four-year in-state charges are weighted by total 2007-08 full-time enrollment in each institution. Out-of-state tuition and fees are computed by adding the average in-state price to the out-of-state premium weighted by the number of full-time out-of-state students enrolled at each institution. Room and board charges are weighted by the number of students residing on campus.

— Sample too small to provide meaningful information.
* Average total expenses include room and board costs for commuter students, which are average estimated living expenses for students living off campus but not with parents.
Source: The College Board, Annual Survey of Colleges. excel

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This table was prepared in October 2008.

Figure 1: Average Estimated Undergraduate Budgets, 2008-09 (Enrollment-Weighted)

Other Expenses

Transportation

Books and Supplies

Room and Board

Tuition and Fees

Notes: Expense categories are based on institutional budgets for students as reported by colleges and universities in the Annual Survey of Colleges. They do not necessarily reflect actual student expenditures.
Source: The College Board, Annual Survey of Colleges. excel

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This graph was prepared in October 2008.