For 2012-13, the cost of attending college continued to grow, though slower than earlier years. The average costs for tuition, fees, room and board were:
| TYPE OF COLLEGE | TUITION AND FEES | ROOM AND BOARD | TOTAL |
| Public, four-year college (in-state) | $8,655 | $9,205 | $17,860 |
| Public, four-year college (out-of-state) | $21,706 | $9,205 | $30,911 |
| Private, nonprofit four-year college | $29,056 | $10,462 | $39,518 |
| Public, two-year school | $3,131 | $7,419 | $10,550 |
src: http://trends.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/college-pricing-2012-full-report_0.pdf