Getting a college degree is a lot more expensive than it used to be–30% more, after inflation. Everyone has a theory about why that is (Fancy amenities! Lack of state funding! Student loans!) but what does the data say? In this episode, Clare schools Teo on the forces driving college tuition higher, and explains what could bring prices back down to earth. 

Have a question we should answer on the show? Click here to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org.

Support the show by supporting our home, KUOW Public Radio in Seattle.

Sources in this episode:
Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025, College Board
The College Payoff, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021
College Scorecard
Decoding the Cost of College, New America, 2018
Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?, Planet Money, 2026
Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Harvard University
Interview with Beth Akers, American Enterprise Institute 
Interview with Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University
Interview with Chris Ruhl, Purdue University
Tuition data from: University of Washington; Western Washington University; Dartmouth College; University of Southern California

Getting a college degree is a lot more expensive than it used to be&ndash;30% more, after inflation. Everyone has a theory about why that is (Fancy amenities! Lack of state funding! Student loans!) but what does the data say? In this episode, Clare schools Teo on the forces driving college tuition higher, and explains what could bring prices back down to earth.&nbsp;
Have a question we should answer on the show? <a href="https://forms.office.com/r/4nGSfCuAML">Click here</a> to tell us using our online form, or email the team at ControlF@kuow.org.
Support the show by supporting our home, <a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/control-f-notes">KUOW Public Radio</a> in Seattle.
Sources in this episode:
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://research.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/Trends-in-College-Pricing-and-Student-Aid-2025-final_1.pdf">Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025</a>, College Board</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/collegepayoff2021/#resources">The College Payoff</a>, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 2021</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/">College Scorecard</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.newamerica.org/insights/decoding-cost-college-2/">Decoding the Cost of College</a>, New America, 2018</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/07/01/nx-s1-5876467/student-loans-debt-bennett-hypothesis-tuition">Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?</a>, Planet Money, 2026</li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://sfs.harvard.edu/changes-federal-student-loans">Key Changes to Federal Student Loans Made in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act</a>, Harvard University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Beth Akers, American Enterprise Institute&nbsp;</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Judith Scott-Clayton, Columbia University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Interview with Chris Ruhl, Purdue University</li>
<li aria-level="1">Tuition data from: <a href="https://admit.washington.edu/costs/coa/">University of Washington</a>; <a href="https://admissions.wwu.edu/cost">Western Washington University</a>; <a href="https://admissions.dartmouth.edu/estimate-your-cost/cost-attendance">Dartmouth College</a>; <a href="https://financialaid.usc.edu/undergraduate-financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/">University of Southern California</a></li>
</ul>

Control F is a podcast about data — hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data — and all the ways it influences our daily lives. In each episode, we dig deep on a topic and search through research, algorithms, and assumptions to bring you insights on how stuff works. In a world ruled by numbers, Control F reads between the (spreadsheet) lines to find the bigger story.

Control F is a podcast about data &mdash; hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data &mdash; and all the ways it influences our daily lives. In each episode, we dig deep on a topic and search through research, algorithms, and assumptions to bring you insights on how stuff works. In a world ruled by numbers, Control F reads between the (spreadsheet) lines to find the bigger story.

Control F is a podcast about data — hard, fuzzy, surprising, and sometimes unreliable data — and all the ways it influences our daily lives. 

Control F

College costs are rising every year, and there are many theories about why prices are so high. Four theories explain the fast increase in prices and point to potential solutions. 