The Invoice


The infrastructure of and opportunities available through higher education have expanded dramatically over the decades, but at a significant price.
In 1920-21, Indiana resident School of Agriculture students were expected to complete 43 semester credits per year to graduate in four years for $14.95 per credit hour (in 2018 dollars, adjusted for inflation). One year’s classes would cost about $642 in 2018 dollars.
In 2018-19, Indiana resident College of Agriculture students are expected to complete 30 semester credits per year to graduate in four years for $333.06 per credit hour. That’s $9,992 for a year of classes.
Many factors contributed to the 21-fold increase in student credit hour fees during the past century. These include:
- significantly more facilities and services provided to undergraduate students today;
- state appropriations to the university that are a much smaller portion of the annual operating budget; and,
- the view that higher education is increasingly a private investment for personal development.
Purdue University Undergraduate Fees and Tuition, West Lafayette Campus, 1880-2018 (excludes special additional fees for designated curricula).*
Year | Indiana Resident | 2018 Dollars | Nonresident** | 2018 Dollars | ||||||||
1880-81 | $14.00 | $346 | $14.00 | $346 | ||||||||
1900-01*** | $27.00 | $810 | $27.00 | $810 | ||||||||
1920-21 | $51.00 | $642 | $86.00 | $1,084 | ||||||||
1940-41 | $108.00 | $1,944 | $208.00 | $3,744 | ||||||||
1960-61 | $240.00 | $2,043 | $615.00 | $5,236 | ||||||||
1980-81 | $933.00 | $2,853 | $2,270.00 | $6,942 | ||||||||
2000-01 | $3,872.00 | $5,666 | $12,904.00 | $18,884 | ||||||||
2018-19 | $9,992.00 | $9,992.00 | $28,794.00 | $28,794 |
*Due to variations in publishing dates of selected University documents, some listed fees may have become effective in the next academic year.
**Nonresident U.S. Citizens
***Due to added laboratory and library fees, juniors paid $31.00, and seniors $35.00 in 1900-01. A $25.00 non-resident “tuition” charge was introduced in 1901-02.