Fast Fact: College costs skyrocketing

President Responds to Soaring Increase in College Costs

Last week, President Barack Obama gave a speech on the issue of college affordability and value, noting that “in this economy, there is no greater predictor of individual success than a good education.” Yet earning a diploma has never been more costly. Since the early 1980s, college tuition and fees have grown by 538 percent — nearly twice the pace of healthcare costs and almost five times that of inflation.