By Matt Phillips.
College tuition rose at the slowest rate on record in May, as an increased focus on affordability from both students, administrators and public officials shows signs of stopping what once appeared to be the runaway price of higher education.
“Both institutions and states are worried about rising prices and about price sensitivity and are trying to slow things down,” said Sandy Baum, an economist who studies higher education finance. “But I wouldn’t predict that concerns over inflation in higher education are over.”
That said, college tuition and fees rose just 1.7 percent May, compared with the prior year.
Of course, that means college is still getting more expensive, just a bit more slowly. Published tuition and fees and private and public four-year colleges rose to $33,500 and $9,700, respectively, for the 2016-17 academic year, both the highest level on record, according to research conducted by College Board, the group best known for its SAT and AP exams
