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Jared Shields
4-16-15
UWRT-1103
Academic Professional Piece
Rising Cost of College Education Essential Facts Sheet
(All figures based on 2014)

Since 1978, college tuition and fees have increased by 1,120% (USA

Today).
Tuition prices have gone up four times faster than the consumer price

index (USA Today).

70% of students borrow to go to college and end up with an average of

$33,000 in student loans (Edvisors/USA Today).

Total student loan debt in the U.S. is $1.2 trillion (USA Today)
Around 50% of graduates with bachelor's degrees under the age 25

are either unemployed or underemployed. (USA Today)

The value of a college degree is anywhere from $185,000
(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to
$1,000,000 ( U.S. Census Bureau) over the course of someones

lifetime. (USA Today)

Three years in a row college enrollment has decreased. (Bloomberg)
Average private school tuition: $31,231. (Bloomberg)
Average pubic school in-state tuition: $9,139. (Bloomberg)
Room and board adds about $10,000 on average per year. (Bloomberg)
More than 90% of college loans are federal loans. (Bloomberg)
More than 50% of college seniors graduate with debt. (Bloomberg)

Bibliography

"College Tuition in the U.S. Again Rises Faster Than

Inflation." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.

<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-11-13/college-tuition

in-the-u-s-again-rises-faster-than-inflation>.
Reaume, Credit.com. "Will Tuition Ever Stop Increasing?" USA Today.
Gannett, 8 Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2014/11/08/cr
edit-dotcom-tuition/18417721/>.