Average US Family College Spending Hits $34,019, Up 10% in 2025-26

1 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Aug 12

$34,019 was the average amount a U.S. family spent on college in 2025-26, up 10% from $30,837 a year earlier, according to a Sallie-Ipsos survey of 1,000 students and 1,000 parents.
Rising costs helped drive the increase: College Board data show average tuition and fees climbed 4% to $45,000 at private nonprofits and 2.9% to $11,950 for in-state students at public four-year colleges.
70% of families still said the education and overall experience was appropriately priced or even a bargain, while about half said they paid less than sticker price after grants, discounts and other aid.
40% of families cited affordability as a top reason for choosing a college, ahead of prestige at 13%, underscoring how price and proximity now outweigh pedigree for most households.
Nearly half of families borrowed to pay for college, and two-thirds backed federal borrowing limits as debt worries persist even after inflation-adjusted outstanding federal student debt fell to $1.7 trillion in 2025.