Evening star., 1901-07-19
COST OF COLLEGE COURSE
THE AVERAGE SUM PAID FOR FOUR
YEARS TRAINING Is S1,s27.
Figures Based on Reports From
Twenty-One of the Important
Educational Institutions.

From the New York Herald.
The average cost Of college education in
the United States is 81, ,S27. These figures
Of expenses are based on reports obtained
from twenty-one of the leading educational
institutions situated throughout the length
Of the land and vary from S3.4O0 at Yale
College to $500 at the University of Nebras-
ka. This difference is largely due to the fact
that while Yale charges an annual tuition
fee of $155, the Nebraska University is free,
except a matriculation fee of So
+ The reports are all based on liberal esti-
mates Of annual expenses, avoiding the ex-
tremes of extravaganza on the one hand
and pinching economy on the other. for
these extremes vary from the expenditure
Of thousands Of dollars to the saving of
money on the part of students who perform
work that more than pays their expenses
At Yale the students, with a few eXcep-
tions, made itemized reports for the college
expenses Of last year, with the result OF the
following being accepted as liberal figures,
avoiding all extravaganza and rigid econo-
my: Tuition, S155: room rent, $500: board,
5000; books, S45: subscriptions society dues
and sundries, 500; clothing and incidentals.
$3.50; $3.50 in all.
The Harvard Estimate.
In the report from Harvard Every LIBERAL
figures given at S1,1S5, while the liberal
figures (here folowed) are S715. allowing
$50 for clothing and incdentals. Without
clothing cost. low estimate is made at
1858. and the report says: THE exception
ally strong and capable student can, with
out injury to himself, reduce his necessary
expenses below the lowest estimate"
At Princeton University the annual cost
is 1903. Without clothing cost the minimum
is 1881 and the maximum $500. The cloth
ing iS difficult to in al
for both the eXtravagant and most saving
hesitate to give figures, and the difference
between them is often hundreds of dollars a
year
At Columbia University of New York the
average is placed at S547; low estimate at
S3S1, and a very liberal one at $500 While a
few exceed the highest figures, many more
keep under the lowest.
Charles w. Holiness registrar of Colum-
bian University, Washington, gives sub
stantially the same figures as above, only
the annual tuition is $50 less than in the
New York university. and he does not give
clothing, tncidentalS and dues, here esti-
mated at $50.
While the annual tuition charge at Johns
Hopkins University is $50 a year, there is
smaller proportion of expenses in board
clothing and incidentals, which brine the
cost to 50, 100
These last figures are reduced 500 at
Cornell University, where, by the forma ton
OF clubs. students are sometimes able to
reduce their expenses to $3.50 per week for
room and board, and occasionally to even
less than that amount.
At the University of Pennsylvania sJO5 is
a fair estimate Cor the wear with ST5O
maximum-s15O being estimated for cloth
Ing and incidentals. There are but few
students who exceed this last amount
Expenses at Dartmouth.
The estimated expense of the college
year vary from $273 to S545," writes Chas.
r. Emerson, dean of Dartmouth College
"Of course. there men who spend much
more than the larger amount and there are
a few who get on for considerably less
than the smaller sum. The average ex-
pense of the college student is between
$3.50 and S4OO per year"
Brown University fixes the medium ex-
penses at $40 annually-with clothing and
incidentals at $3.50. Many of the students
increase their incomes by private instruc-
ton, teaching in the evening schools, and
by other occupations not inconsistent with
their college duties
Tufts College makes the moderate esti-
mate Of $421. The maximum without cost
of clothing Is given 1895.
Oberlin College. with a tuition fee Of So
annually. estimates the yearly cost Of S161,
omitted.
The average man at Bowdoin," saws
the report from that college, may be said
to spend about double the actual lowest
t. e., S3x40x108- x2-462 In other words
incidentals cost as much as necessaries"
The expense here" writes E. L. Wood,
registrar Of Amherst College, may be es-
tfmated from S4OO upward, according to the
taste and disposition of the individual stu
dent. About one-third of our students
spend less than $500. and a few by strict
economy spend less than S4OO. An average
amount would perhaps be from $500 to $500,
though this statement is only approxi-
mate"
The West Virginia University. with no
fees for state students, and tuition fee of
$3.50 for those from foreign states estf-
mates the other expenses from $131 to $2O2
per annum. without clothing cost
The Northwestern University and the
University of Wisconsin each, without the
clothing item. make the average annual
cost 1919. the low s219, and the liberal $401
University of California.
The University Of California, without tut
tion fee, makes the total average per an
mum $3.50. and the Leland Stanford Junior
University Of the same state. with the
same clothing item of $125, estimates the
annual expense at S345.
The average student" writes James B.
Angel president Of the University of Mich
igan, spends about $3.50 year. A large
number have at their disposal $780, while
small minority spend over $500 a year.
Many students reduce the minimum or.
even eliminate 1t altogether, by doing out
side work while carrying on their studies
The most common employments are wait
ing on table, attending furnaces, acting as
agents for laundries. reporting for newspa-
pers and SO on. Now and then an excep-
tionally bright student makes money above
his expenses by some original scheme But
these stunts or gratis, as they are called,
soon lose their profitableness by the influx
OF new competition
The university is free" writes E. H.
Clark from the chancellor's office Of the
University of Nebraska Some go through
as cheap as $16O for the year. but the
average is close to $500. which embraces
everything"