Building an Economy that Works for Everyone

How Washington is pricing thousands of high school graduates out of college

Affordable higher education was once a hallmark of living Washington state — but no more. Sure, tuition will drop a bit in 2015-16, but so will funding for state financial aid. And even adjusted for inflation, the cost of tuition and fees has skyrocketed.

The Economic Opportunity Institute’s analysis of data gathered from WA LEAP, the WA Student Achievement Council, and the WA Office of Financial Management shows that between the 1980-81 and 2015-16 school year, tuition and fees increased by:

  • 499% at University of Washington
  • 507% at Washington State University
  • 384% at Central, Eastern, Western and Evergreen
  • 337% at Community and Technical Colleges

And keep in mind, this is using inflation adjusted (2014) dollars!

Without comprehensive tax reform to bring in new state revenue, college will remain far out of reach for too many.

Tuition and fees 1965-2016

Click for interactive graph of tuition/fees at Washington’s public colleges and universities.

  • Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More To Read

Educational Opportunity

December 19, 2023

2024 Legislative Priorities

By strengthening the core pillars of our economy – including child care, health care, educational opportunity, economic security, and our public revenue system – we can diminish economic, racial, and gender inequity.

Educational Opportunity

December 15, 2022

2023 Legislative Agenda

By strengthening the core pillars of our economy – including child care, health care, educational opportunity, economic security, and our public revenue system – we can diminish economic, racial, and gender inequity.

Educational Opportunity

October 20, 2022

Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness is A Necessary Step in the Right Direction

Student loan forgiveness will provide immediate psychological, and material benefits for borrowers and their communities.