According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for college textbooks increased by 7% between 2020 and 2023.^[4] That’s faster than tuition inflation, and it’s enough to make a dent in any college student’s budget.

If you’re preparing for college, here’s what you need to know about the average cost of college books and what you can realistically expect to pay.

How Much Are College Books and Supplies?

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects data about student costs based on schools’ estimates. In 2020-2021, schools estimated that books and supplies cost first-year, full-time undergraduate students roughly $1,000-$1,250 on average.

Public and private nonprofit colleges reported similar average costs for books and supplies. The average was slightly lower at private for-profit colleges.

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What Do Students Really Spend on Textbooks?

Just because course materials cost $1,200 a year doesn’t mean that’s what college students pay for books. Those NCES estimates include other supplies, such as technology. Also, students can save money on textbooks

In a 2022 survey of nearly 12,000 students, the National Association of College Stores (NACS) found:^{Note Reference [2]}

• In 2021-2022, the average college student spent $339 on course materials including books.
• That’s a 26% decline from the year before when students spent an average of $456 on course materials.
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• The amount college students spend on course materials has generally declined for the past 15 years.
• Around 1 in 4 students did not obtain at least one of their course materials.

NACS also found that college student spending on course materials depends on their major.

• Students in business-related majors, such as marketing or accounting, and students studying political or law-related majors spent an average of over $400 on course materials including textbooks.
• On average, computer science, math, and undeclared students spent the least at $240-$265.

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College E-Textbooks Popularity and Cost: Digital Versus Print

Digital course materials, like e-textbooks have become more popular in recent years and especially after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, about half (52%) of students said they use digital course materials more often than before the pandemic.^{Note Reference [2]} These materials include PDF copies of textbooks and interactive textbooks that allow students to highlight material.

But, digital textbooks and other course materials don’t necessarily save students money. Per a Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) report, digital texts eliminate some of the ways students can save money on print versions.^[5] That is, students may need to purchase an access code for digital materials, preventing them from sharing, borrowing, renting, or buying used materials.

Cost of Technology and Other Supplies for College

Textbooks aren’t the only supplies students need for college. According to the NACS, course materials (such as textbooks) made up just 28% of the total cost of books and supplies.^{Note Reference [2]}

• In 2021-2022, the average student spent $700 on tech devices and products during the academic year.
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How Do Students Afford Textbooks … and What If They Can’t?

Most college students use their own money to pay for books or other course materials.^{Note Reference [2]}

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• 12% rely on student loans.

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What Happens When Students Can’t Afford Textbooks?

In 2019, PIRG surveyed students at 83 college campuses, sampling a student population of over 500,000. It found:^{Note Reference [5]}

• 17% of college students skipped purchasing access codes they needed to complete homework.
• 63% skipped buying a textbook. (That’s way higher than the 25% the NACS estimated in 2022).
• 90% worried that failing to buy textbooks for class would negatively impact their grade.

In the same survey, students reported doing the following to pay for their textbooks:

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• 19% decided which classes to take based on the cost of course materials.
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Open Educational Resources: Making College Books Free

Open educational resources (OER) are course materials in the public domain. In other words, they’re free for anyone to use, edit, and distribute. OER include textbooks and other curriculum materials. Instructors can use OER in their curricula to help students save money.

In a 2022 Bay View Analytics survey of over 2,700 college faculty and administrators:^{Note Reference [3]}

• Two-thirds of faculty (64%) agreed or strongly agreed that the price of course materials posed a serious problem for students.
• Fewer — 46% of faculty —were aware or very aware of OER and creative commons licensing, which allows people to freely distribute college books and other materials.
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• The percentage of faculty using OER in their courses grew by 17 percentage points from 2015-2016 to 2021-2022.

Sources

1. Table 330.40. Average total cost of attendance for first-time, full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution, living arrangement, and component of student costs: Selected years, 2010-11 through 2020-21. National Center for Education Statistics. November 2021. (back to content ⤶)
2. Student WatchTM: Attitudes & Behaviors Toward Course Materials 2022 Report. National Association of College Stores. August 2022. (back to content ⤶)
3. Seaman, JE and Seaman, J., Turning Point for Digital Curricula: Educational Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2022. Bay View Analytics. June 2022. (back to content ⤶)
4. The Economics Daily: College Tuition and Fees Up 4.7 Percent Since February 2020. Bureau of Labor Statistics. March 2023. (back to content ⤶)
5. Nagle, C. and Vitez, K. Fixing the Broken Textbook Market: Second Edition (PDF). U.S. PIRG Education Fund. June 2020. (back to content ⤶)