By: Kaidyn Adams
Picture yourself paying merely a couple hundred dollars a year to get a college degree. Higher education was cheap and sometimes even free in some parts of the United States back them. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in the 1980s the average cost for a 4 year college was estimated to be roughly around 10,200 dollars per year, including tuition, dorming, and board, after adjusting for inflation. That price tag has exploded overtime and is pocket change compared to today. Over the last 40 years college tuition has grown more than 300% faster than inflation.
Paying for a degree is rough, a burden for the average family if you will. In 2025, data from the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the median household income in America is about $87,460 a year. The average yearly costs for a private 4 year college exceeds $60,000. Public four year colleges on average are about $25,850 per year for in state students living on campus. One year of school takes up such a large portion of a family’s income that higher education feels out of reach rather than something that should be relatively accessible.
Living on campus adds a significant amount to the tuition price. Dorm rooms cost thousands of dollars per semester, even though students share rooms, have communal bathrooms, and have underwhelming meal plans. Financial aid is supposed to bridge the gap, but students say it falls short.
Bella, a student who attends Daemen University in Buffalo New York, describes how hard it is to pay on time. “Yes, I believe college is becoming too expensive for the average person because the majority of people do not receive enough aid to help, and a lot of people cannot come up with enough money to cover their tuition when the deadlines are due,” Bella said.
Jane, a student at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, agrees that four year colleges charge too much for housing and meals. “The cost of tuition before room and board is obscene, especially in private colleges, and then room and board is insane, especially considering what we are actually getting for that price,” Jane states. “You get a shared bathroom and a 12 by 8 box to live in with another person… So yes, it is too expensive.”
Jane also notes that more smart choices do exist. “I think there are very cost-effective options as far as college goes, for example, state schools or community colleges,” she added.
That is where local schools like Suny Niagara make a big difference. At Suny Niagara, full time in state tuition is about $5,690 per year. Commuting to campus allows local students to save thousands of dollars on room and board costs, while benefiting from financial aid significantly.
While a college degree can lead to great careers, rising prices leave millions of students with heavy debt. Community colleges like SUNY Niagara help show that affordable education can still somewhat exist, but across our nation, four-year colleges remain far too expensive for the average person.
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