Elite American colleges are now costing students $100,000-a-year

• At least 16 American universities are now approaching or exceeding $100,000 annually for undergraduate study, encompassing tuition, fees, housing, and other miscellaneous costs.
• Despite this headline figure, overall tuition price growth has slowed or reversed in recent years, and most students do not pay the full 'sticker price' due to generous institutional aid.
• Experts cite factors such as the expansion of federal student loan programmes and administrative growth as contributors to rising costs, though the extent of administrative bloat is debated.
• The $100,000 threshold, while often not the actual amount paid, draws significant attention and reinforces public perception of higher education's increasing unaffordability.
• The higher education sector faces future challenges from a demographic decline in college-age students, reduced international enrolments partly due to immigration restrictions, and a changing labour market, leading many to question the value of a four-year degree.

IN FULL

$100,000-a-year to go to college? Elite American schools cross the Rubicon as more students think twice about higher ed