The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released the 2025 College Affordability and Transparency Report on October 14, 2026. The report summarizes explanations submitted by colleges and universities about increases in tuition, fees, and average net price. ED also made the institutional responses available in a downloadable data file for the first time.
What the Report Covers
Under Section 132 of the Higher Education Act, ED publishes college cost information annually. These lists identify institutions within each sector with:
- The highest 5 percent of tuition and fees and average net prices.
- The largest 5 percent of percentage increases in tuition and fees and average net prices over three academic reporting years.
- The lowest 10 percent of tuition and fees and average net prices.
Institutions appearing on either list of the largest percentage increases must complete the College Affordability and Transparency Explanation Form (CATEF), explaining the increases and their plans to address costs.
Key Findings
According to ED, nearly 450 institutions were required to complete the 2025 CATEF. The announcement identifies 198 institutions among the responses on the tuition and fee increase list and 216 on the net price increase list.
Institutions cited reasons including additional staffing, higher salaries and wages, and increased operating costs. ED reported that 60 percent of respondents indicated no plans to lower prices, while 40 percent indicated plans to lower costs. These findings reflect the institutions included in this reporting process, rather than all colleges and universities.
Resources for Institutions and Families
The 2025 report and downloadable institutional responses provide additional detail about reported cost increases and institutional explanations.
Students and families can also review the College Affordability and Transparency Lists to compare published prices and average net prices. The announcement emphasizes that published tuition and fees can differ substantially from what students pay after financial aid.
ED also encourages students and families to consider other available resources, including the FAFSA Lower Earnings Indicator, when evaluating their college options.
The announcement does not establish a new reporting deadline, and ED states that it will continue publishing these data annually.
SOURCE: (GENERAL-26-63) Release of the College Affordability and Transparency Report