Where the Tuition Goes · Compare

Two dollars, side by side

The comparing room. Pick any two of the twelve archetypes; each metric is drawn on a shared scale, so the bars compare straight across the gutter, and each is flagged against the national average. Read administration first - that is the line the rest of this site is about.

Illustrative Archetype institutions with illustrative shares - not real schools.

Panel A

Coastal For-Profit Institute

For-profit · $21,000/FTE

Administration
34% Above national 12%
Instruction
22% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$21,000 Below national $38,500

Metro Career College

For-profit · $19,500/FTE

Administration
29% Above national 12%
Instruction
25% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$19,500 Below national $38,500

Riverbend Private College

Private nonprofit · $34,000/FTE

Administration
24% Above national 12%
Instruction
33% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$34,000 Below national $38,500

Sunbelt Regional University

Public · $22,000/FTE

Administration
19% Above national 12%
Instruction
29% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$22,000 Below national $38,500

Liberal Arts College of the Plains

Private nonprofit · $41,000/FTE

Administration
17% Above national 12%
Instruction
35% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$41,000 Above national $38,500

Lakeside State University

Public · $26,000/FTE

Administration
15% Above national 12%
Instruction
31% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$26,000 Below national $38,500

Mountain Community College

Public · $15,000/FTE

Administration
14% Above national 12%
Instruction
34% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$15,000 Below national $38,500

Harborview University

Private nonprofit · $52,000/FTE

Administration
13% Above national 12%
Instruction
30% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$52,000 Above national $38,500

Great Plains State

Public · $24,000/FTE

Administration
12% Below national 12%
Instruction
33% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$24,000 Below national $38,500

Capitol Research University

Public · $38,000/FTE

Administration
10% Below national 12%
Instruction
28% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$38,000 Below national $38,500

Northern Institute of Technology

Private nonprofit · $58,000/FTE

Administration
9% Below national 12%
Instruction
38% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$58,000 Above national $38,500

Old Ivy University

Private nonprofit · $72,000/FTE

Administration
8% Below national 12%
Instruction
41% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$72,000 Above national $38,500

Panel B

Coastal For-Profit Institute

For-profit · $21,000/FTE

Administration
34% Above national 12%
Instruction
22% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$21,000 Below national $38,500

Metro Career College

For-profit · $19,500/FTE

Administration
29% Above national 12%
Instruction
25% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$19,500 Below national $38,500

Riverbend Private College

Private nonprofit · $34,000/FTE

Administration
24% Above national 12%
Instruction
33% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$34,000 Below national $38,500

Sunbelt Regional University

Public · $22,000/FTE

Administration
19% Above national 12%
Instruction
29% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$22,000 Below national $38,500

Liberal Arts College of the Plains

Private nonprofit · $41,000/FTE

Administration
17% Above national 12%
Instruction
35% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$41,000 Above national $38,500

Lakeside State University

Public · $26,000/FTE

Administration
15% Above national 12%
Instruction
31% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$26,000 Below national $38,500

Mountain Community College

Public · $15,000/FTE

Administration
14% Above national 12%
Instruction
34% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$15,000 Below national $38,500

Harborview University

Private nonprofit · $52,000/FTE

Administration
13% Above national 12%
Instruction
30% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$52,000 Above national $38,500

Great Plains State

Public · $24,000/FTE

Administration
12% Below national 12%
Instruction
33% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$24,000 Below national $38,500

Capitol Research University

Public · $38,000/FTE

Administration
10% Below national 12%
Instruction
28% Below national 30%
Per-FTE total
$38,000 Below national $38,500

Northern Institute of Technology

Private nonprofit · $58,000/FTE

Administration
9% Below national 12%
Instruction
38% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$58,000 Above national $38,500

Old Ivy University

Private nonprofit · $72,000/FTE

Administration
8% Below national 12%
Instruction
41% Above national 30%
Per-FTE total
$72,000 Above national $38,500

Illustrative Shared-scale bars and vs-national badges are honest no-JS comparisons; there is no faked pairwise winner. Illustrative archetypes in the real IPEDS shape.