Universities Weblog

Here's another reminder to students and parents that a college education is less expensive than what many of them think. As the linked article points out, few families pay a college's sticker price. At 28 elite (and expensive) colleges, says one study, although expenses represent 66 percent of an average family's income, those families are likely to pay only 23 percent of their income toward college costs after grants and loans are factored in. In other words, tuition discounting and loans have evened the playing field for the middle class.

The point here is that while a college education remains expensive, and private-university costs have crept beyond $40,000 a year, families shouldn't dismiss any potential institutions because they assume they're beyond financial reach. Apply, get in, and then worry about paying.

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