This chart shows the inflation-adjusted trends in published cost of attendance (COA), grant aid, and net COA at public four-year colleges and universities from 2006-07 through 2025-26. Over the period, the published cost of attendance increased substantially, rising from about $26,000 to just over $31,000, peaking at roughly $33,500 around 2020-21. Grant aid also grew steadily, nearly doubling from approximately $5,000 to about $9,500 per student. As a result, the net cost of attendance (published COA minus grant aid) increased more modestly, climbing from about $21,000 to roughly $24,500 before declining after 2021-22 to about $21,000-$21,500 in recent years. The trend suggests that growth in grant aid has helped offset rising college prices, leading to lower net costs for students since the early 2020s despite continued increases in published costs.
The chart above uses the same data to illustrate the overall change in COA, grant aid, and net COA between 2006-07 and 2025-26 after adjustment for inflation. Over the period, average grant aid increased dramatically by 85% beyond inflation, far outpacing growth in published tuition and fees (29%) and overall cost of attendance (18%). As a result, while published prices rose, the average net cost of attendance paid by students increased by only 2%, above inflation while net tuition and fees declined by 43%. The findings indicate that growth in grant aid has substantially offset increases in college prices, reducing the effective tuition burden for many students despite rising sticker prices.
SOURCE: College Board Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid, 2025; Figure CP-9. Graphics by EPI.
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