Special Report

Colleges With the Biggest Tuition Hikes

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An estimated 19.9 million students attended the more than 4,600 degree-granting institutions in the United States in the fall 2018 semester, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students has been dropping for years from a fall 2010 peak of 21.0 million, but is expected to climb steadily over the next decade.

Total U.S. postsecondary enrollment last fall declined by 1.8% from the year before, led by a 14.5% drop at four-year for-profit institutions, according to the latest data from the National Student Clearinghouse, a nonprofit that tracks student attendance at degree-granting institutions.

Still even as college attendance has declined, tuition at four-year degree-granting institutions has increased. At some institutions, it has risen to an astronomical degree in a relatively short time. In over a dozen colleges and universities, in-state tuition rose by more than 50%.

To determine the colleges with the largest five-year tuition hikes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Four-year universities were ranked based on the change in their published in-state tuition from the 2012-13 school year to the 2017-18 school year.

Click here to see the colleges with the biggest tuition hikes.

QuesterMark / Flickr

49. Texas Wesleyan University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $27,800
> Total student population: 2,396

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Courtesy of William Jessup University

48. William Jessup University, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $30,550
> Total student population: 1,504

Courtesy of Nebraska Christian College

47. Nebraska Christian College of Hope International University, Nebraska
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $16,830
> Total student population: 146

Courtesy of AdventHealth University

46. AdventHealth University, Florida
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,400
> Total student population: 1,809

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FlamingoImages / Getty Images

45. Independence University, Utah
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $16,968
> Total student population: 8,605

Courtesy of The King's University

44. The King’s University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.9%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,400
> Total student population: 662

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f11photo / Getty Images

43. Hussian College School of Art, Pennsylvania
> 5-year tuition increase: 34.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $19,650
> Total student population: 52

Courtesy of Mercy College of Ohio

42. Mercy College of Ohio, Ohio
> 5-year tuition increase: 34.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,710
> Total student population: 1,416

Dave Parker / Wikimedia Commons

41. Madonna University, Michigan
> 5-year tuition increase: 35.3%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $20,700
> Total student population: 3,086

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Daniel Case / Wikimedia Commons

40. Uta Mesivta of Kiryas Joel, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 35.3%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $11,500
> Total student population: 1,864

tzahiV / Getty Images

39. Ohr Hameir Theological Seminary, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 35.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $11,250
> Total student population: 101

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Larry D. Moore / Wikimedia Commons

38. Dallas Christian College, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 35.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $18,734
> Total student population: 231

Courtesy of Google Maps 2019

37. Rabbinical College of Ohr Shimon Yisroel, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,600
> Total student population: 227

Infrogmation / Wikimedia Commons

36. University of Holy Cross, Louisiana
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,220
> Total student population: 1,246

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lorenkerns / Flickr

35. Southeastern University, Florida
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $25,360
> Total student population: 7,163

Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

34. St Francis College, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $26,188
> Total student population: 2,362

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Wesbenshade / Wikimedia Commons

33. Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences, Pennsylvania
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.8%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $27,568
> Total student population: 1,793

Ianmccor / Wikimedia Commons

32. North Greenville University, South Carolina
> 5-year tuition increase: 37.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $19,150
> Total student population: 2,565

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jaycross / Flickr

31. Hult International Business School, Massachusetts
> 5-year tuition increase: 37.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $38,850
> Total student population: 2,798

Americasroof / Wikimedia Commons

30. MidAmerica Nazarene University, Kansas
> 5-year tuition increase: 38.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $29,670
> Total student population: 1,888

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Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons

29. New England Institute of Technology, Rhode Island
> 5-year tuition increase: 38.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $28,656
> Total student population: 2,793

Bethwales / Wikimedia Commons

28. Maria College of Albany, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 38.9%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,610
> Total student population: 855

Gordon Hatton / Wikimedia Commons

27. Ripon College, Wisconsin
> 5-year tuition increase: 38.9%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $41,835
> Total student population: 756

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stuseeger / Flickr

26. Saint Edward’s University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 39.2%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $43,300
> Total student population: 4,447

Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons

25. Brewton-Parker College, Georgia
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $17,740
> Total student population: 783

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Courtesy of Williamson College

24. Williamson Christian College, Tennessee
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $12,850
> Total student population: 58

Stevenson wiki / Wikimedia Commons

23. Stevenson University, Maryland
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.2%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $35,490
> Total student population: 3,876

Courtesy of Benedictine University

22. Benedictine University, Illinois
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $33,900
> Total student population: 5,100

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MsSarah Rose / Wikimedia Commons

21. Davis College, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $16,800
> Total student population: 288

IslandsEnd / Wikimedia Commons

20. Criswell College, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 42.2%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $9,858
> Total student population: 264

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Johnson University / Wikimedia Commons

19. Johnson University Florida, Florida
> 5-year tuition increase: 42.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,920
> Total student population: 187

andipantz / Getty Images

18. Drexel University, Pennsylvania
> 5-year tuition increase: 44.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $52,002
> Total student population: 24,190

Courtesy of Sullivan University

17. Sullivan University, Kentucky
> 5-year tuition increase: 44.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $25,950
> Total student population: 3,489

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Etittle1978 / Wikimedia Commons

16. Johnson University, Tennessee
> 5-year tuition increase: 45.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,920
> Total student population: 1,153

Courtesy of Welch College

15. Welch College, Tennessee
> 5-year tuition increase: 49.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $18,458
> Total student population: 366

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Amerique / Wikimedia Commons

14. Saint Augustine College, Illinois
> 5-year tuition increase: 50.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,200
> Total student population: 1,256

Courtesy of Trident University International

13. Trident University International, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 51.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $9,240
> Total student population: 6,982

Nyttend / Wikimedia Commons

12. Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, Kentucky
> 5-year tuition increase: 53.3%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $9,020
> Total student population: 138

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Josh Stapler / Wikimedia Commons

11. University of Charleston, West Virginia
> 5-year tuition increase: 54.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $30,400
> Total student population: 2,481

139446213@N03 / Flickr

10. Wayland Baptist University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 55.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $18,510
> Total student population: 4,847

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Courtesy of Carver College

9. Carver Bible College, Georgia
> 5-year tuition increase: 57.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $12,685
> Total student population: 60

Courtesy of Grace College of Divinity

8. Grace College of Divinity, North Carolina
> 5-year tuition increase: 68.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $5,800
> Total student population: 144

Courtesy of Clinton College

7. Clinton College, South Carolina
> 5-year tuition increase: 71.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $7,949
> Total student population: 170

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Courtesy of Cleveland University-Kansas City

6. Cleveland University-Kansas City, Kansas
> 5-year tuition increase: 77.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,800
> Total student population: 492

Courtesy of Arlington Baptist University

5. Arlington Baptist University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 78.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,600
> Total student population: 173

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Fishepat000 / Wikimedia Commons

4. Baptist Bible College, Missouri
> 5-year tuition increase: 80.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,850
> Total student population: 297

Courtesy of Unitek College

3. Unitek College, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 140.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $35,070
> Total student population: 2,715

Courtesy of Jewish Theological Seminary of America

2. Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 213.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $54,684
> Total student population: 368

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Courtesy of Columbia College

1. Columbia College, Missouri
> 5-year tuition increase: 225.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $21,936
> Total student population: 13,492

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