How Much Are College Textbooks? The Typical Prices Explained
Did you know that by 2029 undergraduate enrollment is predicted to increase to 17 million students? If you are planning on being part of this statistic, you might be wondering “how much are college textbooks?” We have put together this guide to share more about what students typically spend on their books for their dream college.
Keep reading to learn more about what you can expect as you start this new chapter in your education.
How Much Are College Textbooks?
The average college student spends more than $1,200 on books according to the College Board. Textbook prices have been on the rise since 1978 and have risen 812% since then. This means that a textbook that costs $25 back in 1978 would cost $203 nowadays.
With such high prices, you might be wondering how you can save money in order to afford college life. Here are a few tips to save money when it comes to your textbooks.
Rent Your Books
Instead of buying every single book, why not rent most of them? There are many benefits of textbook rentals besides just saving money. You can help the environment and save trees because more than one person will be able to use the same book.
You can also save space when you opt for online version rentals. Textbooks are not small and they will take up a ton of room in your dorm therefore, space is a commodity that you can’t afford to use up with a ton of books.
Buy Used Books
If you prefer to have your own book because you want to reference back to that subject you can look into buying used books instead of brand new. Buying used can save you up to half off especially if the previous owner went a bit highlighting crazy on it.
There are also book exchange groups on campus that you can find used books.
Share Books
If you have a roommate or a friend with the same class, you can share your book. This will save you both money because you can split the cost of the books. Only opt for this method if you are both willing to work together when it comes to dividing your time with the book.
If you both live on opposite sides of town this method might not be the way to go unless you make photocopies of the chapters you need for an exam or a project.
Free Options
Thanks to the worldwide web there might be a free PDF option of your textbook. Older literature that is no longer under copyright protection is usually easier to find for free. There are nonprofit sites such as Project Gutenberg that offer PDFs for free.
Ready to Shop for Your College Books?
Now that we answered the question “how much are college textbooks?” you can start shopping around. Choose the best options for you from our tips above if you are looking to save money.
Did our article help you out today? Please check out our article on college courses that you might not know that you have to take.
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