College textbooks priced at $20 in 2018 $19.41 in 2024

College Textbooks Inflation Calculator

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Prices for College Textbooks, 2018-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for college textbooks are 2.94% lower in 2024 versus 2018 (a $0.59 difference in value).

Between 2018 and 2024: College textbooks experienced an average inflation rate of -0.50% per year. In other words, college textbooks costing $20 in the year 2018 would cost $19.41 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.73% during this same period, inflation for college textbooks was significantly lower.

In the year 2018: Pricing changed by 0.95%, which is above the average yearly change for college textbooks during the 2018-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 2018 (2.44%), inflation for college textbooks was lower.

Price Inflation for College textbooks since 2001

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 2007 (8.31%), 2009 (7.52%), and 2008 (7.52%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 2018

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for College textbooks, over time, for $20 beginning in 2018. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
2018$20.000.95%
2019$19.53-2.36%
2020$19.23-1.54%
2021$19.420.98%
2022$20.274.40%
2023$19.82-2.20%
2024$19.41-2.08%*

* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.


Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for College textbooks:

Year200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI100.000104.177110.985115.492120.269127.954138.580148.995160.195168.777177.345189.644201.704209.591221.992234.216240.337242.626236.901233.253235.548245.905240.493235.489

Adjust college textbooks prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 2018 * 2018 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for College textbooks was 242.626 in the year 2018 and 235.489 in 2024:

235.489 / 242.626 * $20 = $19.41

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 2018 has the same "purchasing power" as $19.41 in 2024 (in the CPI category of College textbooks).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for College textbooks in 2001. In addition to college textbooks, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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