Policy Insights | Tuition and Fees in the West 2002-03

For the 2002-03 academic year, the average annual increase in resident undergraduate tuition and fees for public four-year institutions in the WICHE states is 6.6 percent, compared with the national average of 9.2 percent.1 Undergraduate tuition and fees range from a low of $1,744 at California State University, Long Beach to a high of $5,952 at the Colorado School of Mines. The average increase for nonresident undergraduates at four-year institutions in the WICHE region is 8.9 percent. In the two-year sector, the average tuition and fees for resident students is $1,623 although the amounts range from $330 (in California) to $2,252 (in North Dakota). Colorado is considering a change to a voucher-type system and Utah is finding a downside to changing residency requirements.