Net Prices by Income over Time: Private Sector
For all full-time dependent students except those from families with incomes of $100,000 or higher, the average tuition and fees net of grant aid at private for-profit colleges was higher than the net price at private not-for-profit four-year institutions in 2007-08.
NOTE: Net price is defined here as published price less grant aid. Unlike the calculations of net price in Figure 7, tax credits and deductions are not subtracted. Income groups are based on quartiles of families in the U.S. Census Bureau 2006 income data (corresponding to the 2007-08 academic year). Earlier years' income cutoffs are based on the 2006 cutoffs and adjusted for inflation. In constant 2006 dollars, lowest-income group: <$32,500; lower-middle group: $32,500–$59,999; upper-middle group: $60,000–$99,999; highest income group: $100,000 and higher.
SOURCES: NCES, NPSAS, 1993, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008; U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement, 2007.
- On average, tuition and fees net of grant aid declined (in constant dollars) for the lowest-income full-time dependent students at private colleges between 2003-04 and 2007-08. Net tuition grew at an average annual rate of less than 1% for lower-middle and highest-income students, but for students from families with incomes between $60,000 and $99,999 (in 2006 dollars), average net price increased by 2.4% per year beyond inflation.
- In 2007-08, full-time dependent students with family incomes below $32,500 at private not-for-profit four-year colleges faced total tuition and fees net of grant aid that were one-third of the net price faced by students from families with incomes of $100,000 or higher.
- Full-time dependent students with family incomes between $32,500 and $59,999 faced net tuition and fees equal to half of those paid by the most affluent students at private not-for-profit colleges.
- In 2007-08, full-time dependent students from families with incomes between $60,000 and $99,999 faced net tuition and fees equal to about 70% of the expenses paid by the students from the highest-income families.
- For full-time dependent students at all income levels, net tuition and fees at for-profit institutions increased 8% to 10% per year beyond inflation between 2003-04 and 2007-08, compared to 0% to 2% at private not-forprofit four-year colleges, 0% to 4% at public two-year colleges, and -6% to 3% per year at public four-year colleges.