After 2015, increases in the total costs of public college are primarily driven by food and housing

CSU   UC  

Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
NOTES: Costs are for students living off-campus not with family, averaged across sector and weighted by full-time first-time undergraduate enrollment. Category for other includes expenses such as laundry, transportation, entertainment, and furnishings. Adjusted for inflation using the Bureau of Labor Statistics R-CPI-U-RS data.
FROM: PPIC Blog, April 2026
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