The real reason college costs 43% of family income isn’t tuition

As more Americans consider whether a college degree is worth it, the rising cost of attending a college or university is often at the forefront of their minds.

The average college tuition more than tripled between 1980 and 2022. Most of that increase appeared after 2000.

When adding in housing, food, books and other costs, the total amount to attend Brown University, Tulane University, the University of Richmond, Williams College and other schools can easily rise to $100,000 per year for tho...