Economic Snapshot
Tuitions are rising, and it’s not because of overtime pay: Percent change in average tuition and fees of 4-year public universities and the overtime salary threshold, 1975–2016
| Year | Average tuition and fees at public universities | Overtime salary threshold |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1976 | 8.1% | -5.4% |
| 1977 | 7.4% | -11.2% |
| 1978 | 4.7% | -17.5% |
| 1979 | 1.0% | -25.9% |
| 1980 | -2.8% | -34.7% |
| 1981 | -0.8% | -40.8% |
| 1982 | 5.7% | -44.2% |
| 1983 | 14.9% | -46.0% |
| 1984 | 18.0% | -48.2% |
| 1985 | 22.3% | -50.0% |
| 1986 | 29.1% | -50.9% |
| 1987 | 30.5% | -52.6% |
| 1988 | 33.2% | -54.5% |
| 1989 | 36.3% | -56.6% |
| 1990 | 46.3% | -58.8% |
| 1991 | 54.7% | -60.5% |
| 1992 | 66.1% | -61.7% |
| 1993 | 75.6% | -62.8% |
| 1994 | 82.3% | -63.7% |
| 1995 | 84.3% | -64.7% |
| 1996 | 89.5% | -65.7% |
| 1997 | 93.8% | -66.5% |
| 1998 | 99.0% | -67.0% |
| 1999 | 101.7% | -67.7% |
| 2000 | 103.0% | -68.8% |
| 2001 | 112.2% | -69.6% |
| 2002 | 127.5% | -70.1% |
| 2003 | 152.6% | -70.8% |
| 2004 | 170.6% | -48.2% |
| 2005 | 181.1% | -49.9% |
| 2006 | 185.2% | -51.4% |
| 2007 | 197.2% | -52.8% |
| 2008 | 200.0% | -54.5% |
| 2009 | 228.4% | -54.4% |
| 2010 | 249.9% | -55.1% |
| 2011 | 266.3% | -56.5% |
| 2012 | 277.4% | -57.4% |
| 2013 | 280.4% | -58.0% |
| 2014 | 283.8% | -58.6% |
| 2015 | 294.3% | -58.7% |
| 2016 | -18.2% |
Note: The overtime salary threshold was inflation-adjusted using the CPI-U to be consistent with the College Board's inflation adjustments of tuition data.
Source: EPI analysis of data from the College Board and Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index program
This chart appears in:
Previous chart: « Average Annual Change in Real Median Household Income During Last Four Recoveries, by Race
Next chart: CEO compensation, CEO-to-worker compensation ratio, and stock prices, 1965–2015 (2015 dollars) »