Soaring tuition costs in the U.S. aren’t the only obstacle to attending college these days. Many Americans struggle with a more basic task — simply figuring out how much a bachelor’s degree would cost them,
A new study from Gallup and the higher-education foundation Lumina shows that a large majority of people remain convinced of the merits of going going to college. But the costs dissuade many from enrolling, while less than a quarter of respondents were able to estimate the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree within $5,000 of its actual price, the analysis found.
Tuition fog
Such confusion is especially problematic as colleges push up the sticker price of attendance to nearly six digits, often as a marketing ploy to signal their exclusivity. Because few students and their families actually pay that price, thanks to financial aid and other supports, focusing on that number can be misleading, experts note.
