College tuition is becoming increasingly expensive, making higher education less accessible. The average cost of a four-year private college is $26,273 per year, while public universities charge $7,020 for in-state students. With tuition and other costs like room and board rising $377-420 each year, the total price of college increases by $172-1,096 annually. Unless steps are taken to reduce costs, high tuition will negatively impact high school graduation rates and encourage more students to drop out as college becomes unaffordable.