See How Much More Tuition Costs for Gen Z Than It Did for Gen X at 30 Popular Colleges

If it seems like college keeps getting more and more expensive, it’s because it truly is — and the price hikes are outpacing inflation by a long shot. When Gen X began attending college in the ’80s, it was possible to pay less than $1,000 for in-state tuition — or in the case of the University of Texas, less than $500. Even adjusted for inflation, many public universities charged tuition prices of $3,500 or less, and private university tuition topped out at about $25,000.

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For Gen X parents who are now sending or preparing to send their Gen Z kids off to college, there may be some sticker shock. In-state public college tuition costs about $6,000 on the low end, while private universities can have tuition costs of $60,000 (or more). Even when adjusted for inflation, the cost of tuition has more than doubled at many schools — and in the case of one university, it now costs eight times more than it did when Gen X attended.

To make it clear just how much more expensive college has become, GOBankingRates looked at the tuition at 30 colleges and universities at a time when Gen X began attending (1983-1989) and adjusted these costs to 2021 dollars. Next, we gathered the current tuition at these same schools to show what Gen Z is now paying and calculated how much costs have increased.

See how much more this new generation of college kids is paying for school compared to Gen X.

• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $7,530
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $50,232
• Percent increase in cost: 567%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $18,372
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $60,530
• Percent increase in cost: 229%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $3,452
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $6,120
• Percent increase in cost: 77%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $22,737
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $60,944
• Percent increase in cost: 168%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $12,602
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $32,000
• Percent increase in cost: 154%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $23,833
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $51,904
• Percent increase in cost: 118%

• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $7,507
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $28,450
• Percent increase in cost: 279%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $2,492
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $9,489
• Percent increase in cost: 281%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $2,161
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $11,962
• Percent increase in cost: 454%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $2,055
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $7,528
• Percent increase in cost: 266%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $21,814
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $60,276
• Percent increase in cost: 176%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $23,708
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $59,384
• Percent increase in cost: 150%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $4,117
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $11,936
• Percent increase in cost: 190%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $25,148
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $56,010
• Percent increase in cost: 123%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $18,097
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $55,473
• Percent increase in cost: 207%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $3,519
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $13,258
• Percent increase in cost: 277%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $2,154
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $6,380
• Percent increase in cost: 196%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $4,014
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $12,080
• Percent increase in cost: 201%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $2,667
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $11,304
• Percent increase in cost: 324%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $4,236
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $12,254
• Percent increase in cost: 189%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $3,197
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $9,000
• Percent increase in cost: 181%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $6,414
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $16,178
• Percent increase in cost: 152%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $4,037
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $8,934
• Percent increase in cost: 121%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $3,341
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $13,128
• Percent increase in cost: 293%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $16,727
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $58,843
• Percent increase in cost: 252%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $22,077
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $60,446
• Percent increase in cost: 174%

• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $1,192
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $10,858
• Percent increase in cost: 811%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $5,366
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $14,188
• Percent increase in cost: 164%

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• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $3,094
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $10,766
• Percent increase in cost: 248%

• Tuition cost for Gen X (adjusted to 2021 dollars): $19,843
• Tuition cost for Gen Z: $59,950
• Percent increase in cost: 202%

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Methodology: GOBankingRates used National Center for Education Statistics: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data as well as IPEDS data sourced through Demo.org’s “When Congress Went to College” piece to find (1) tuition at 30 colleges and universities for Gen X, which was limited to the years 1983-1989. Next, GOBankingRates found the (2) tuition for Gen X adjusted to 2021 dollars using the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI inflation calculator. GOBankingRates also found (3) tuition for Gen Z (2021-2022) from each university or college’s own website, as well as the nominal and percentage tuition difference between factors (1) and (3), as well as factors (2) and (3). All data was collected and is up to date as of Aug. 9, 2021. All tuition data was sourced for the lowest possible bar for entry, thus all public colleges and universities have their in-state tuition represented.