How Does Tuition Compare at Texas Public Universities?
The cost of college in Texas is back at center stage, following speculation over the last week that University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers' job was in jeopardy over his public disappointment with University of Texas System leaders for their decision to freeze tuition at the flagship campus.
Both Board of Regents Chairman Gene Powell and UT System Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa have denied that Powers' statement about the tuition decision — that it will "affect our ability to teach our students and make new discoveries" — has threatened his job security. But they flatly disagree with his assessment, contending that ...
Comments (6)
T D
We are in Bizarro-World when right wingers want to use the power of government to set prices and control institutions ("not sustainable!"), and liberals are left to champion the free market ("let people pay for excellence if they wish").
UT has never had so many applications before, nor so many saying "yes" when accepted. It would be easier to say that tuition was unsustainable if applications were going down.
David John Lawrence via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I attended Tarleton State University from 1978-1981. At that time tuition was $6/credit hour. My first semester of tuition, room & board came to a grand total of $1079; I had scholarships, grants, and loans and could still barely afford to go. I can't imagine how folks can afford to attend college now.
J.B. Bird
This is interesting, but it's more relevant to compare the cost of Texas universities to their peer institutions in other states. For example, here's how UT Austin compares (based on the latest data from the US Department of Education's cost calculator) to the other public universities that are ranked in US News & World Report's top 50 universities. Even with years of tuitiion increases, UT Austin is still one of the least expensive universities in its peer group. This is more relevant to consumers than its cost in relation to non-ranked universities.
Average Tuition & Fees at Top Public Univerisities
Institution (US News Rank), Tution 10-11
Penn State (47), $15250
Illinois (47), $13096
UC Davis (39), $11958
Michigan (29), $11837
UC Santa Barbara (39), $11686
UC San Diego (35), $11306
UC Irvine (41), $11232
UC Berkeley (22), $10940
Virginia (25), $10828
UCLA (25), $10781
UT Austin (45), $9418
Wisconsin (45), $8983
Georgia Tech (35), $8716
Washington (45), $8701
North Carolina (30), $6665
Samdavis
It would be much better for all residents of the state if monies from the PUF were distributed fairly among all the public schools, not just those under UT/A&M mantle. As it is these two systems are just getting bigger but not necessarily better.
Peter Stern
Let's remember to thank Gov. Rick Perry and Texas Legislators for mega-pushing deregulation of higher education tuition. Almost immediately after the deregulation bill was approved the University of Texas raised its tuition costs. Furthermore, UT raised its tuition costs no less than 5 times within the first year after the deregulation bill was approved. Then, other universities and colleges followed UT's lead. That's why tuition costs have gone up and still are at an appalling rate. Meanwhile, UT spend money like its water.
Joshua Scott
How about an incremental ban on using the profit from undergraduate tuition to fund graduate research? Since the consensus is that funding research is important, let's fund it directly, instead of through unforgivable undergraduate loans.