Average Cost of Room & Board for College

Report Highlights. The average cost of college room and board^* is $14,398 as of academic year (AY) 2025-26.

At a public, 4-year college, room and board average $14,034 in AY2025-26.
Room and board averaged $54,760 for a full 4 years of college ending AY2025-26.
Since 1970, the average inflation-adjusted cost of college room and board has increased 83.2%.
College students paid $8,196 for an average dorm room in AY2025-26.
The average college meal plan was $6,205 in AY2025-26.

^*In this report, except where otherwise noted, the cost of room and board refers to the price of housing (i.e. dormitories) and the price of a meal plan while a student lives on a postsecondary campus.

Doughnut chart: Average College Room vs Board Costs AY2025-26 (56.9% room, 43.1% board) according to the U.S. Department of Education

Average Cost of Room & Board

Institutions may offer out-of-state students different rates for room and board; many also have varied prices for different residence halls depending on amenities.

College students at an average 4-year postsecondary institution pay $15,068 for room and board as of AY2025-26.
For a private 4-year college, the average cost of room & board is $15,903 as of AY2025-26.
Students at nonprofit 4-year institutions pay $15,958 for room and board as of AY2025-26.
For-profit 4-year institutions charge students $12,328 for room and board.
On average, 42.7% of the cost to undergraduates (including tuition and fees) at a 4-year university goes to room and board.
At an average 2-year public college (i.e. community college), students living on campus pay $9,258 as of AY2025-26.

Cost of College Room & Board in AY2025-26 by Institution Type
Type of College	Annual Cost of Room & Board
Public 2-year	$9,574
Private, nonprofit 2-year	$14,929
Private, for-profit 2-year	$8,654
Public 4-year	$14,500
Private, nonprofit 4-year	$15,958
Private, for-profit 4-year	$12,328

Historical Cost of Room & Board

The average inflation-adjusted cost of room & board remained relatively stable throughout the 1960s and 70s; periods of drastic growth began in the early 1980s, and costs increased every year between AY1991-92 and AY2020-21.

The average cost of college room and board in AY1963-64 was $739, equivalent to $7,750 in 2025 currency values.
In AY1990-91, the average cost of room & board was equivalent to $8,586 in 2025 dollars.
Room and board represented 59.2% of college costs (including tuition and fees) in AY1963-64.
Adjusted for inflation, college room and board costs increased 10.8% from 1963-64 to 1990-91 for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 0.38%.
From AY1990-91, to AY2020-21, the average inflation-adjusted cost of room and board increased 77.2% (CAGR 1.93%).

Line graph: Average Inflation-Adjusted Cost of College Room and Board according to U.S. Department of Education

Examples of College Room & Board Costs

The prices listed here are the combined average “sticker price” of each college’s dorm and meal plans.

According to Cornell College, 99% of their students receive some form of financial aid.
At the University of Florida, sticker price for a traditional double room in Broward residence hall is $7,858 for AY2026-27; for a double suite in Cypress Hall, it’s $10,608.
Room and board account for 44.7% of the total cost of attendance at Ohio University’s Athens campus.
At Cornell College, room and board account for 17.0% of the total cost of attendance.

Snapshot: Room & Board by College
Institution	AY2026-27 Room & Board
University of Pennsylvania	$20,604
Colorado College	$17,360
Georgia Institute of Technology	$14,628
Ohio University-Athens	$13,590
Cornell College	$11,590
University of Florida	$13,488
Emporia State University	$11,090

Room and Board Off Campus

Raw ingredients purchased at a grocery store naturally cost less than a campus meal plan, but other housing expenses off campus can make it the less affordable option.

The average U.S. apartment rents for $2,000 per month.
An average two-bedroom apartment rents for $1,800 per month.
For a 2-bedroom apartment with a roommate, the average renter would pay $10,800 for a standard 12-month lease (equivalent to 132% of the average college housing cost).
The average U.S. household spent $6,224 on food at home (i.e. groceries) in 2024, equivalent to $2,593 per person.
The annual per person cost of groceries in 2024 is equivalent to 43.1% of the average college meal plan in AY2024-25.

Average Cost of Room & Board at 4-Year Universities in AY2026-27
Degree	Public	Private
Bachelor’s	$12,527	$15,362
Master’s	$12,554	$15,480
Doctoral	$14,548	$19,180

Graduate School Differences in Room & Board Costs

In general, the average sticker price of room and board for advanced degrees is higher than the price for undergraduates.

At public 4-year universities, the average cost of room and board for a bachelor’s student is $12,527 for AY2026-27.
Master’s and doctoral students pay an average of $12,554 and $14,548, respectively, for room and board at public 4-year institutions in AY2026-27.
At private, nonprofit 4-year universities, the average cost of room and board for a bachelor’s student is $15,362 for AY2026-27.
Master’s and doctoral students pay an average of $15,480 and $19,180, respectively, for room and board at private 4-year institutions in AY2026-27.

National map: Average Cost of Public University Housing On Campus AY2025-26 according to U.S. Deparment of Education

Average State Cost of Room & Board

The average cost of campus housing is not always comparable with the cost of regular housing throughout the local area or the rest of the state.

Public universities in South Dakota have the most affordable room and board rates for AY2025-26 at $8,364.
Private universities in North Dakota have the most affordable room and board in AY2025-26 at $8,219.
New York is the state with the highest cost of public university housing at $10,913 in AY2025-26.
Washington public universities charge the most for meal plans at $7,680 in AY2025-26.
The District of Columbia has the most expensive private university housing in AY2025-26 at $11,556.
Idaho private universities have the most expensive meal plans in AY2025-26 at $8,524.

Cost of Room & Board by State AY2025-26
State	Public	Private
Alabama	$11,399	$11,114
Alaska	$13,675	$8,878
Arizona	$14,505	$10,331
Arkansas	$10,877	$9,327
California	$16,774	$17,067
Colorado	$14,503	$15,103
Connecticut	$14,594	$16,766
Delaware	$14,969	$14,499
District of Columbia	NA	$18,652
Florida	$11,785	$14,773
Georgia	$11,837	$14,525
Hawaii	$12,264	$14,680
Idaho	$10,804	$11,648
Illinois	$12,543	$15,033
Indiana	$11,312	$13,854
Iowa	$10,614	$10,983
Kansas	$10,468	$11,606
Kentucky	$12,271	$9,797
Louisiana	$11,805	$15,351
Maine	$11,494	$15,271
Maryland	$14,376	$16,528
Massachusetts	$15,470	$18,345
Michigan	$11,937	$11,793
Minnesota	$11,709	$12,280
Mississippi	$12,380	$9,426
Missouri	$10,912	$12,329
Montana	$11,273	$10,912
Nebraska	$11,546	$11,196
Nevada	$12,618	NA
New Hampshire	$13,319	$13,325
New Jersey	$14,385	$15,192
New Mexico	$10,769	$12,806
New York	$17,353	$17,791
North Carolina	$11,869	$14,348
North Dakota	$9,469	$8,219
Ohio	$13,908	$13,250
Oklahoma	$11,448	$10,353
Oregon	$14,835	$15,393
Pennsylvania	$12,783	$15,661
Rhode Island	$14,971	$17,222
South Carolina	$12,084	$11,320
South Dakota	$8,364	$9,332
Tennessee	$11,165	$12,904
Texas	$11,148	$12,972
Utah	$9,080	$9,063
Vermont	$13,635	$16,172
Virginia	$13,336	$12,775
Washington	$15,783	$14,705
West Virginia	$11,850	$10,769
Wisconsin	$9,771	$12,804
Wyoming	$10,165	NA

National map: Average Cost of Public University Meal Plans On Campus AY2025-26 according to the U.S. Department of Education

Average Cost of Room & Board at College