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.
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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48. William Jessup University, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $30,550
> Total student population: 1,504
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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
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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45. Independence University, Utah
> 5-year tuition increase: 33.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $16,968
> Total student population: 8,605
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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43. Hussian College School of Art, Pennsylvania
> 5-year tuition increase: 34.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $19,650
> Total student population: 52
42. Mercy College of Ohio, Ohio
> 5-year tuition increase: 34.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,710
> Total student population: 1,416
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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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
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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38. Dallas Christian College, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 35.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $18,734
> Total student population: 231
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
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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35. Southeastern University, Florida
> 5-year tuition increase: 36.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $25,360
> Total student population: 7,163
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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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
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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31. Hult International Business School, Massachusetts
> 5-year tuition increase: 37.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $38,850
> Total student population: 2,798
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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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
28. Maria College of Albany, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 38.9%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,610
> Total student population: 855
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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26. Saint Edward’s University, Texas
> 5-year tuition increase: 39.2%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $43,300
> Total student population: 4,447
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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24. Williamson Christian College, Tennessee
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $12,850
> Total student population: 58
23. Stevenson University, Maryland
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.2%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $35,490
> Total student population: 3,876
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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21. Davis College, New York
> 5-year tuition increase: 40.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $16,800
> Total student population: 288
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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19. Johnson University Florida, Florida
> 5-year tuition increase: 42.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,920
> Total student population: 187
18. Drexel University, Pennsylvania
> 5-year tuition increase: 44.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $52,002
> Total student population: 24,190
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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16. Johnson University, Tennessee
> 5-year tuition increase: 45.6%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,920
> Total student population: 1,153
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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14. Saint Augustine College, Illinois
> 5-year tuition increase: 50.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,200
> Total student population: 1,256
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13. Trident University International, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 51.0%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $9,240
> Total student population: 6,982
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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11. University of Charleston, West Virginia
> 5-year tuition increase: 54.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $30,400
> Total student population: 2,481
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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9. Carver Bible College, Georgia
> 5-year tuition increase: 57.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $12,685
> Total student population: 60
8. Grace College of Divinity, North Carolina
> 5-year tuition increase: 68.4%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $5,800
> Total student population: 144
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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6. Cleveland University-Kansas City, Kansas
> 5-year tuition increase: 77.5%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $14,800
> Total student population: 492
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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4. Baptist Bible College, Missouri
> 5-year tuition increase: 80.1%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $13,850
> Total student population: 297
3. Unitek College, California
> 5-year tuition increase: 140.7%
> 2017-2018 tuition and fees: $35,070
> Total student population: 2,715
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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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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