Tuition and cost: comparing types of colleges

College cost comparisons should separate published tuition, net price, total cost of attendance and borrowing. Published tuition shows the sticker price. Net price reflects grants and scholarships for students in the federal calculation. Total cost includes non-tuition expenses such as books, supplies and living-cost assumptions.

National published-price benchmarks

College Board published tuition and fee benchmarks are useful for national sector context. They help distinguish public two-year, public four-year in-state, public four-year out-of-state and private nonprofit pricing patterns.

Those figures do not answer what a particular student will pay. A student’s actual cost depends on program length, enrollment intensity, transfer credits, grants, employer tuition assistance, books, fees and living-cost assumptions.

Net price and borrowing

College Scorecard defines average annual cost as average net price for students who receive federal financial aid. The definition includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs, then subtracts grant and scholarship aid. For public institutions, the Scorecard net-price field reflects in-state students.

Borrowing is a separate question. A lower net price generally reduces the need to borrow, but the amount borrowed also depends on family resources, Pell Grant eligibility, scholarship access, employer tuition support and whether the student continues enrollment long enough to complete.

University of Phoenix as a documented example

University of Phoenix-Arizona appears on College Scorecard under College Scorecard ID 484613. The profile should be checked for current institution-level cost, debt, completion and earnings fields before publication.

Cost evaluation for University of Phoenix should not compare the institution to named schools unless that comparison has separate approval. The approved model uses national benchmarks such as College Board sector averages and federal Scorecard fields.

How to compare cost responsibly

Cost comparison is strongest when it separates three layers: published tuition, net price and debt. Published tuition is useful for national sector context. Net price reflects grant and scholarship offsets for federal-aid recipients. Debt shows how much borrowing remains after aid, personal resources and enrollment choices.

For working adults and first-generation students, indirect costs also affect the comparison. Commuting, childcare, schedule disruption, technology needs and lost work hours may change the value of an online or flexible pathway. Those costs are not always fully captured in a tuition-only comparison.

National benchmarks are most useful as reference points, not as proof that any specific institution is expensive or inexpensive. A student comparing options should still check current tuition, fees, aid eligibility, transfer-credit policy, program length and remaining credits after evaluation.

The final cost for any student depends on aid, accepted transfer credits and enrollment choices. Federal and national sources provide the structure, while the student’s award letter and credit evaluation determine the actual cost.

Sources

College Board, Trends in College Pricing Highlights 2025-26: https://research.collegeboard.org/trends/college-pricing/highlights

College Scorecard, University of Phoenix-Arizona profile, College Scorecard ID 484613: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?484613-University-of-Phoenix-Arizona=

College Scorecard Data, Data Documentation and Glossary: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/ and https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/glossary/