THE SKYROCKETING COST OF COLLEGE
Despite a decade of low inflation, the price of higher
education has seemed to defy gravity. According to The College Board,
a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to help students and
parents prepare and pay for college, tuition and fees at both private and
public institutions have nearly doubled in constant dollars over the last 20
years.1
But a college education is an investment that can pay
big dividends down the road. The College Board, citing U.S. Census Bureau
statistics, estimates that individuals with a bachelor's degree earn over 70%
more, on average, than those with only a high school diploma.2 Over
a lifetime, that earnings gap translates into more than one million dollars -
more than enough return to justify the investment, even if the rise in prices
is outpacing inflation.3
