Independent College 500 Index
The Independent College 500 Index (IC 500) is compiled annually from College Board data about the costs of enrollment in higher education.
Using enrollment-weighting techniques, the College Board can calculate a student's average annual expenses and compute average prices charged by institutions.
The IC 500 measures the rates of change in direct charges (defined as full-time tuition and fees plus room and board) for most first-year, full-time students at 500 participating independent colleges. At least 15 percent of full-time undergraduates live in college housing at these institutions which also represent the highest aggregate direct charges (enrollment times total direct charges).
A look at the last two academic years helps to illustrate the changes in cost:
- IC 500 value for 2008-2009: $37,208
- IC 500 value for 2009-2010: $38,799
This represents an increase of 4.28 percent over one year—important information for anyone concerned with the cost of higher education today. This represents the lowest percentage increase in total direct costs at independent institutions since 2000-01.
It should be noted that although the IC 500 measures with precision average direct charges and rates of change at participating institutions, the College Board cautions against using the IC 500, or any data included therein, as a measure or predictor of year-to-year changes in the costs of attending any private or public educational institution.
It is also important to keep in mind that other factors beyond those measured by the IC 500 also determine a student's annual costs such as books and supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses. The cost of living will vary from region to region and even from student to student. Further, about two-thirds of all the students enrolled in postsecondary education in the United States and three-quarters of all full-time students receive some form of public or private financial aid. This may also affect their final cost for a year of higher education.
Annual Survey of Colleges
This index is based on the College Board's Annual Survey of Colleges. While the Annual Survey is distributed to more than 3,700 postsecondary institutions across the country, the scope of the IC 500 project is limited to the 500 institutions contained in the sample that comprise the index.
The Trends reports
For comprehensive results on how much colleges and universities are charging undergraduate students for the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year, the College Board releases the survey results each fall in the Trends reports.
These reports, Trends in College Pricing and Trends in Student Aid, report on average prices and expenditures for the current academic year, as well as a wealth of data on enrollment and financial aid. They can be found at www.collegeboard.com/trends.
For additional information
For more information about the construction of the IC 500, view a sample construction, see how we compute the IC 500, and learn about how it's updated.
More questions about the computation or updating of the Independent College 500 Index or other College Board measures of average prices and expenditures should be directed to:
Joel Goldman
The College Board
11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 300
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (571) 262-5925
Email: jgoldman@collegeboard.org