The Open Secret Colleges and Universities Don’t Want You To Know
In 1984, the average tuition, room and board was about $4,600, which equates to $14,000 in 2024, taking into consideration the inflation rate, which means todays price of tuition, room and board should be about 300% higher than in 1984. But, we all know that isn’t the case.
The average tuition, room and board at a college or university (and it varies depending on whether the school is private or public) in 2024 is about $42,000 – about 900% more than in 1984. Most private schools cost $80,000 – $100,000 annually which makes people – and especially parents – wonder why have the costs of educating our kids increased so dramatically? Read more 
Executive Compensation at Pomona College
Pomona College (Pomona) in Claremont, California is often referred to as the Harvard of the West (Forbes ranked Pomona the number one college in America in 2015). With only 1,700 students, Pomona charges about $50,000 for tuition and another $16,000 for room and board annually, which is in line with other top private colleges in the country.
Pomona reported $236 million in revenue in 2016 – about half ($104 million) of which came from tuition, room and board payments. The remaining revenue primarily came from the sale of assets ($75 million) and contributions, gifts and grants ($44 million). Expenses totaled $192 million (net of depreciation) including $38 million in tuition assistance to 973 students (an average of $41,000 each). At year-end, Pomona had $2.4 billion in net fund assets. Read more
Executive Compensation at Harvard
Harvard University (Harvard) is one of the most well-respected institutions of higher learning in the United States and consequently, a popular choice among prospective students. With a 5% acceptance rate (40,000 students apply annually and only about 2,000 are accepted), Harvard is also one of the most competitive undergraduate schools in the country even though the cost to attend is about $65,000 annually ($45,000 for tuition and $20,000 for room, board, and fees).
Harvard is a 501 (c) (3) whose legal name is President and Fellows of Harvard College. There is also Harvard Management Company, Inc. (HMC) – a 501 (c) (3) – whose mission is to provide investment management services to Harvard (managing the $41.9 billion in net fund assets). Both of these organizations are key to understanding the financial aspects of what most people think of as “Harvard.” Read more
“Still Alice”
“She liked being reminded of butterflies. She remembers being six or seven and crying over the fates of the butterflies in her yard after learning that they lived for only a few days. Her mother had comforted her and told her not to be sad for the butterflies, that just because their lives were short didn’t mean they were tragic.”
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Paddock Post 