Cost comparison · sticker vs net price
Compare what colleges actually cost
Line up two or three colleges side by side — the sticker cost of attendance against the net price students at each family-income level actually paid after aid. Cited to federal data, not sticker averages.
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How we compare colleges
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard — the same data every college is federally required to report. We line up each school’s latest reporting year and show the numbers as reported.
Sticker is the full cost of attendance — tuition, fees, room, board, books, and living expenses. Net price subtracts the average grant and scholarship aid, so it’s what a typical aided student actually paid. Because need-based aid depends heavily on family income, we compare net price separately for five income bands. In each net-price row, the lowest cost across the schools you’re comparing is marked in gold — the school where a family at that income actually paid least.
Scope & limitations
- ~2-year lag. Federal cost data is historical by design. Each column states its reporting year; schools can differ by a year in what’s published.
- Averages, not your price. Each figure is an average across aided students in that income range — not a personalized estimate for you at any school.
- Coverage gaps. Where a school has too few reported students in a band to publish a net price, that cell shows as not reported (—) rather than guessed.
Source
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Published tuition history also draws on IPEDS. Open any school’s column heading for its full per-college cost breakdown and trend over time.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Frequently asked questions
How should I compare colleges on cost?
Compare the net price, not the sticker price. The sticker (full cost of attendance) is what a family paying no aid would owe, and almost nobody pays it. Net price is what students actually paid after grant and scholarship aid — and because most aid is need-based, it varies sharply by family income. This tool lines up both figures for each school, and the net price for each of five income bands, so you compare like with like: what a family at your income level actually paid at each school.
Why can one school have a higher sticker but a lower net price?
Because sticker price and discounting are separate things. A private college with a $80,000 sticker may award enough grant aid that a low-income student pays less there than at a $30,000-sticker public university that discounts little. That inversion is exactly what a sticker-only comparison hides and this tool surfaces — the cheapest school on paper is often not the cheapest school to actually attend.
Are these the prices I would pay at each school?
No. Every figure is a historical average for a past entering cohort of federal aid recipients — an income-band average, not a personal quote. Your own price depends on your specific finances, the year you enroll, and each school's aid offer. Use each college's official net price calculator for a personalized estimate. This comparison is informational only.
What if two schools report different years?
Colleges report to the Department of Education on slightly different schedules, so the latest available year can differ by school. We show each school's reporting year in its column and note when they don't match. Federal cost data runs roughly two years behind the current academic year in all cases — it's a benchmark, not a live quote.
Related tools
For any U.S. college, the net price students at each family-income level actually pay after aid — versus the sticker — tracked and cited to federal data.
Open tool →Net Price by IncomePick your family-income band, then search any college to see what students in that band actually paid after grant aid.
Open tool →Tuition Trend & InflationHow a school's published tuition has risen over time — and whether it outpaced inflation (CPI), cited to federal data.
Open tool →Tuition, fees, room and board, and books — the full cost of attendance for any school.