Running Head: HIGH COLLEGE TUITION COSTS 1

College Tuition Cost

Alexis Avila Hernandez

University of Texas at El Paso

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Abstract

Most people are worried for the raising of college tuition cost, all this because this

high costs are making students leave at one point in college putting in risk their future and

many other factors. Other factors that students usually face with high costs are that they start

having difficulty buying a home, graduation rate is decreasing etc. Many graphs and statistics

made by experts show that since 1980, the college tuition costs have increased up to 4 times.

Back then in 1980, a year in college costed in an average of $3,400 dollars and today in day

is more than $23,000. What happened and what change to lead all this increase of tuition?

Why college tuition cost is so expensive and why it is increasing each time more? Many

factors points to the high salaries and high number of employment inside the campus and

high cost of infrastructure. Just these three factors are making the college getting each time

more and more expensive.

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High College Tuition Cost

Although college has never been thought of as a cheap investment, the cost of tuition

constantly seems to be on the rise. Unfortunately, in todays society, not receiving a degree

can hinder ones career trajectory, making students to take thousands of dollars worth in debt

in order to receive a higher education. College tuition cost, for most people, it is too high

with an average of $24,930 dollars per year. Including all expenses a student usually has to

make in certain point during college as fees, room and board, or like any other expenses of

transportation and utilities that every single student has. So, why college tuitions costs have

increased and why it is still increasing? The three main points that leads the high increase of

tuition cost is the high annual income employers are paid (Like professors), really expensive

infrastructure (Depending of the school), and low annual income in an average family. These

are main factors that the readers and students have to notice in order to know if it is worth it

to go to college today in day.

Showing contrast with the first main point, the salaries of the staff takes big part of

the increase of the tuition. For example, for every 18 students there is a faculty member like a

professor. The average pay for a college professor is $124,981 dollars; if it is divided by 18

students it equals $7,054 dollars. This should be the final tuition price, but there is more than

a simple professor, there are coaches, gardeners, admission people, marketers, etc. So, all this

salaries increase a lot the college tuition cost for a student just because they are paying most

of the faculty member of the specific campus. This money is almost the third part of the total

that an average college student has to pay in the year or semester they are enrolled on.

Another point is that studies show that the better the professor the more students it brings. For

example, if the school has money, it brings better professor; the better the professor brings
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students, and if there are more students there is more money and so on. It is a cycle that will

never end and explains perfectly how some universities brings more students so easily.

Furthermore, the average annual income for an average family in the United States is

just enough to pay college, imagine the families with the low annual income; they see college

as something impossible. Even though universities and various other institutions offer

financial assistance and aid programs to help future students accomplish their dreams and

goal, it is not enough for the high costs of school. To can make it during the career in college,

millions of students and families every year are forced deeper into debt to make up. Around

$100 billion a year is borrowed thought a cottage industry of private and publicity-funded

loan programs, but as usual, many families do not like the idea of having loans hanging over

their heads. This force thousands of students to leave college and see graduation or even a

good life with a degree is impossible. As said before, in todays society a college degree is

fundamental and required for a job, also including that it is an accomplishment that many

students would like to say they have made. While many students head off to college, they

may quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the cost, Full-time students arent

necessarily better off. For the majority of college students, completing their degree in four

years isnt possible (Sloan, Everything Finance, p,12)

However, if someone talks about the reasons of the high costs of tuition costs, there is

the need to include the prices of the infrastructure. The average cost of infrastructure in the

United States is $115-215 per foot square. Including the fact that universities are really too

big with open spaces, makes students to pay more and more depending of the school. The

reason that universities have really expensive building is that the better the buildings (like

wonderful spaced and well decorated) the more students it brings. It is another cycle that

universities usually make because in the head of a freshmen or a person that is persuading to

go to college is to think how great and well done are schools made. Obviously, students are
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paying for the infrastructure because if the specific college has really expensive buildings, the

more tuition students must pay. Most people do not realize this, so they just chose the best

well-looking university in some cases.

In conclusion, even with the high costs for college, it is still one of the best

investments a person may have. It is said that those with a graduate degree earn more than

five times to those that just finished some educations as high school. Everyone know that

todays college tuition costs is really big and expensive, but it is still worth it because after

graduating from a college, there will be a time where you will get all the money that students

invested back to their pockets. College is one of the most important things that a person

decides to accomplish, and one of the single greatest investments people can make in their

lives.
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