The Need for College Amenities and Their Benefit to the Student and Institution’s Success

With the ever-increasing cost of higher education, students, families, and taxpayers have begun to scrutinize the factors and expenses that are driving the skyrocketing cost of tuition. Adjusting for inflation, the average cost to attend a university (tuition, room/board, and fees) in 2014 was more than double than it was in 1984 (NCES, 2016). And unfortunately, this is a trend that is unlikely to change. It is projected that college tuition will continue to rise at a rate of 5% each year (Badkar, 2014). While the cost of a four-year degree is currently approximately $77,000, the same degree 18 years from now is projected to cost a staggering $185,000. To put this into perspective, both the median home price in the Midwestern United States (NAR, 2016) and cost of a Ferrari sports car are approximately $175,000. To this end, students and their families are justifiably questioning the cost of higher education.