Average Cost of College Textbooks

For years, the price of college textbooks skyrocketed, but as digital usage expanded, the cost to consumers decreased; the average e-book costs 31.9% less than its hard copy equivalent.

A typical college textbook is expected to cost $105.37.

The $3.10 billion textbook publishing market is estimated.

Over a period of ten years, student expenditure on course materials decreased by as much as 43.6%.

In one academic year, a full-time, in-state undergraduate student at a four-year public university spends an average of $1,226 on books and supplies.

11% of students reported skipping meals in order to afford books and course materials, while 25% of students said they worked overtime to pay for their textbooks and materials.

Average College Textbook Costs

Because more students are renting textbooks and using digital course materials, the average price of college supplies and books decreased in the academic year 2020–2021.

As of the 2021–2022 academic year, the typical postsecondary student spends $628–$1,471 yearly on books and materials.

Hardcover novels typically cost between $80 and $150, but they can cost as much as $400.

Each new edition of a textbook has an average 12% price increase.

The cost of textbooks increased by 1,041% from 1977 to 2015.

Between 1977 and 2015, the price of textbooks increased by 238% more than the rate of currency inflation.

Between 2002 and 2012, consumer price increase lagged below textbook inflation by 192.9%.

Up to 37% of postsecondary instructors choose their course materials without knowing how much they will cost.

Average Cost to Students

The majority of educators think that their students are burdened by the cost of the course materials.

The average cost of new hard copy textbooks per student decreased by 3.45% between 2019 and 2020.

For textbooks, 29.7% of students have used financial aid.

70% of the prices for students who used financial aid to buy textbooks were reimbursed.

Professors believe that the cost of textbooks and other course materials is too high (82%).

In a 2013 poll, 80% of students said they had to purchase an online access token for at least one of their classes.

43% of academics think that print materials are preferable to eBooks for student learning.

How to Save Money on College Textbooks

One-in-five students indicate that the price of the books and resources directly affects their choice of classes, and 63% of students claim they have completely forgone purchasing a textbook.

Apply for book scholarships. 

Nearly everything else is covered through scholarships, and there are many available that are designed expressly for course materials.

Check for Open Educational Resources. 

These open-source course materials, also referred to as OERs, OEMs, or OSMs, are created particularly for unrestricted use and distribution. To help students save money, an increasing number of universities are enabling their professors to use these course materials.

Buy used books, rent books, or look locally. 

Check your local library to see if it has the book. Don't forget to look into regional book buyers and booksellers as well.