# How much was your college tuition the first year? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 25, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674 "2013-04-25T15:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/1 "2013-04-25T15:56:29Z")
I’m constantly amazed at the rise in tuition and textbooks. An article this week shows how college textbooks have gone up about [812% since 1980](http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/12/the-college-textbook-bubble-and-how-the-open-educational-resources-movement-is-going-up-against-the-textbook-cartel/), while income has only gone up about 270% in that time. My first quarter in college was Fall 1984 at Auburn University at Montgomery (a much smaller branch of big Auburn and geared for working students). For a full load of courses (4 courses/20 hours) my tuition as an in-state student was $335. Per [this inflation calculator](http://www.westegg.com/inflation/), that would be approximately $728 today. A year’s tuition if you went 3 quarters was a hair over $1,000, or between $2,000-$2,500 in today’s USD. Today the same school is on the semester system, but for a year’s tuition by their own estimate the amount of tuition is closer to $7500. It would be conceivable that a student working a minimum wage or slightly above job could save $2,000 over the course of a summer, especially if they lived at home or had roommates. They’re not likely to save $7,500 unless they eat lots of rice and work 4 jobs, and they haven’t paid for books. Does anybody (including currently enrolled students) know what they paid? ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/2 "2013-04-25T16:53:53Z")
My first year tuition at a small private college in 1972-73 (yeah, I’m old!) was $1272 for the year plus books. Luckily I had scholarships to cover much of the cost. I have no idea what a year’s tuition would be now but it’d probably make me go :eek:! I just looked it up. $24,302 per year just for tuition! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ads95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@ads95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ads95)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/3 "2013-04-25T16:59:16Z")
IIRC, tuition at North Carolina State in the fall of 1990 was ~$700 per semester for a full time student. Fees added another $100 or so. By 1995, it was up to around $1100 per semester. It was quite manageable. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/4 "2013-04-25T17:03:40Z")
I can’t remember. Private liberal arts college starting 1979. Probably around $10,000-$15,000 per year. ---
**Author:** ![boozilu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@boozilu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boozilu)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/5 "2013-04-25T17:05:16Z")
Michigan State University 1983. $2400 for three quarters\*.\* ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/6 "2013-04-25T17:07:13Z")
My first year was in 1997 at a non-flagship state school. I think it was ~$3500/semester including room & board. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/7 "2013-04-25T17:11:24Z")
So far my only college experience has been at community colleges, but when I first went in fall 1997 tuition was $37 per credit or $444 for a full time student. Today tuition is $75 per credit, slated to be raised to $85 starting this summer. Can’t remember book costs, but I have the foggy notion that the prices have ~tripled in that time. Unfortunately I don’t have any of my old textbooks for reference. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/8 "2013-04-25T17:12:14Z")
When I graduated from CMU in the early 70s, it was easy to find a starting salary that met or exceeded what you had just spent on four years of tuition, room and books. I don’t think that is true any longer… ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/9 "2013-04-25T17:16:49Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > When I graduated from CMU in the early 70s, it was easy to find a starting salary that met or exceeded what you had just spent on four years of tuition, room and books. > > I don’t think that is true any longer… Hey, fellow CMU alum! I was there until 1981, I don’t know how much I paid exactly, but I was able to swing tuition and living expenses on what I made working in the summers. But, then I was working a full-time union job. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/10 "2013-04-25T17:17:25Z")
Northwestern University, 1993-1998. I believe full tuition was something like 13,000 and room & board 12,000. Sorry. I looked it up, and it must have been a little more. For the 94-95 school year, I found that it was $16,404 ($5468 per quarter, with three quarters being a normal school year.) ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/11 "2013-04-25T17:18:57Z")
Late 1960’s Univ of Calif Berkeley. $75/quarter or such, IIRC. 😉 (I was a California resident.) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/12 "2013-04-25T17:20:03Z")
In the old days when I matriculated (and there were laws against that in some states), I had to bring a bushel of turnips in to the dean’s office at the start of every semester. Things have changed, so I hear. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/13 "2013-04-25T17:22:07Z")
Univeristy of Maryland, Fall 1981 was approx $500 / semester. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/14 "2013-04-25T17:29:48Z")
Cal State Bakersfield, fall 2004. Full time student, three quarters, I lived off campus: $2,709. Last year of my degree (2009) total fees for a year were: $5091. Current fees for 2012-2013, off campus: $6709. I liked my education well enough, but I can’t defend the idea that a degree from CSUB is worth $25,000 +. [Cite: CSUB’s website](http://www.csub.edu/finaid/content/cost_of_attendance/) ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/15 "2013-04-25T17:29:54Z")
State school in PA, 1994-1998. I lived on campus and think everything that first year was about $7500, not including books, so about $3750 per semester. I went to their website and it is now up to $6700 per semester to live on campus, $4300 for tuition and $2400 for the dorms. They have more sophisticated apartment living for additional $$ that wasn’t available when I was there. ---
**Author:** ![geneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e4f/32.png) [@geneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geneb)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/16 "2013-04-25T17:39:15Z")
Public university, attended 2005 - 2008. According to [cappex.com](http://cappex.com) tuition (just tuition, not room and board or fees) was $4762 in 2005, $5130 in 2006, and $5738 in 2007. Currently it is $8590. ---
**Author:** ![EverwonderWhy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EverwonderWhy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EverwonderWhy)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/17 "2013-04-25T17:41:02Z")
CalPoly, SLO 1995 ~$750/quarter as a California resident. I went all four quarters my first year so tuition for the year ~$3000. Books were about $200-$300 a quarter. I lived in the dorms my freshman year, but I have no clue how much that cost, though I do remember it being significantly more than my tuition and books combined. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/18 "2013-04-25T17:45:33Z")
Fall of 78, in-state at U of I was around $370 per semester IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/19 "2013-04-25T17:54:00Z")
I graduated in 1995, and I remember it was about $1,500 for a year’s tuition. According to [this site](http://www.usask.ca/archives/history/tuition.php), tuition was $1,344 for a full year in 1990, so my memory wasn’t too far off. ---
**Author:** ![phxjcc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phxjcc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phxjcc)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674/20 "2013-04-25T17:57:28Z")
Cal Poly SLO 1970, $54/qtr for 12-20 units + books. Books were always more than tuition. Room and Board (3 meals/day) in the Dorms was ~ $100 per month. USC tuition in 1973 was ~ $850/semester; in 1975 they jacked the tuition to over $1000 per semester - we were outraged. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-was-your-college-tuition-the-first-year/656674.md?page=2)