Jillian Berman and Jay Zehngebot :

A combination of work, family support, and minimal debt once made a college degree obtainable. Now, this affordable college education is increasingly out of reach.

Taking into account tuition, room, board, and fees across 2,312 public and private colleges and universities in the U.S., the average price of an undergraduate degree1 increased $63,973, or roughly 261%, since 1987. (These numbers and the rest that follow have been adjusted for inflation)

Madison’s K-12 spending has grown significantly as well, now nearly $20,000 per student – despite long term, disastrous reading results.