Cost of attendance is the estimated total price of one year of full-time study at an institution, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, and average living costs.
How it is measured
Cost of attendance = tuition and fees + books and supplies + room and board (or living allowance) + other allowable expenses, using the institution’s published averages for the academic year.
Net price reported on College Scorecard and similar tools is cost of attendance minus average grant aid for full-time, first-time undergraduates who received federal aid. Public-institution net price figures are limited to in-state students.
Example: an institution lists in-state tuition and fees of $10,000, books and supplies of $1,200, and off-campus living costs of $12,000. Cost of attendance for that student category is $23,200. If the average grant aid for federal-aid recipients in that category is $8,500, the average net price is $14,700.
How it differs
Sticker price usually refers only to published tuition and fees. Net price subtracts grant aid from the full cost of attendance. The figures published for aided students are not the same as the bill an unaided student would receive.
Common errors
Comparing sticker price across institutions without looking at cost of attendance or net price. Assuming the published cost of attendance matches every student’s actual expenses. Using the out-of-state tuition figure for a public institution when the net price data are calculated on the in-state rate.
References
- 1. College Scorecard glossary and documentationCOA as basis for net price calculation
- 2. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics price definitionsTuition, fees, and living cost components
Cost of attendance is the estimated total price of one year of full-time study at an institution, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, and average living costs.