Florida College Tuition: Going Up, But Still a Relative Bargain

As college students “Occupy USF” this afternoon, one of their biggest complaints is the rising cost of tuition. Yes, it’s up…but it’s still cheaper to go to college in Florida than just about anywhere else.

Our friends at The Florida Current have come up with a cool graphic showing the tuition trends, which they’re allowing us to republish here on StateImpact Florida.

Florida Current says Florida’s tuition rates are rising faster than the national average, but are still relatively cheap.

If you’re an in-state student at a public university in Florida, you’re paying the seventh-lowest tuition, on average, in the country.

That’s $5,626, compared with the U.S. average of $8,244, according to Florida Current.

Tuition in Florida is growing a little faster in Florida than the national average — up 12 percent instead of 8 percent. Still, it would take a lot for Florida schools to catch up to the national average, or even most other southern states.

Some Florida college officials are asking for higher tuition to attract and keep faculty and make up for state budget cuts.

Florida’s Board of Governors are scheduled to discuss ways to raise tuition for some online courses and continuing education during their meetings today and tomorrow.