The average tuition at American universities has increased at a moderate rate over the past two years, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday. The annual report, which used information from over 6,500 schools across the country, reported that private nonprofit universities experienced the largest cost escalations. Average tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates at four-year public universities were $5,749 for the 2007-08 academic year, a 5.3 percent increase from 2005-06, while public out-of-state costs were $13,630, up 3.4 percent. Textbooks, school supplies, housing and other expenses also increased in price. Private nonprofit universities saw average tuition and fees increase 6.7 percent to $19,337 and private for-profit institutions charged $14,782, a 5.2 percent increase after being adjusted for inflation.
The Educational Testing Service launched a campaign this fall encouraging college students to take the Graduate Record Examination in preparation for graduate school, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. The instability of the current global economy makes such a campaign very timely because college graduates may struggle in today's job market, the article said. The campaign, which has been launched at 100 institutions across the country, emphasizes the salary benefits that come with a graduate degree. In 2007, the median earnings for men with a bachelors degree was $57,397, while men with advanced degrees earned $77,219, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Women with a bachelors degree earned $38,628, while women with advanced degrees earned $50,937. ETS's ownership of the GRE, however, has caused critics to question the company's motivation for the campaign. Robert Schaeffer, public education director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, told The Chronicle that he suspects the campaign is more focused on increasing the number of students who take the GRE, and by extension ETS's revenue, than helping students achieve success.
The newly-created Ranking Systems Clearinghouse will provide students with an online resource for navigating the many ranking systems of higher education institutions, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Institute for Higher Education Policy, a nonprofit Washington-based research group, worked with the International Rankings Expert Group and UNESCO-European Centre for Higher Education to provide annotated links to ranking-related research and to national and international ranking systems. IHEP's web site calls the RSC a "road map of this complex rankings landscape." In 2006 IHEP hosted a conference in Berlin that led to the creation of the Berlin Principles on Ranking of High Education Institutions, and over 30 countries regularly publish systems of rankings according to IHEP.
