Elementary and high school tuition and fees priced at $20 in 1981 $251.58 in 2024

Elementary And High School Tuition And Fees Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Elementary And High School Tuition And Fees, 1981-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for elementary and high school tuition and fees are 1,157.91% higher in 2024 versus 1981 (a $231.58 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2024: Elementary and high school tuition and fees experienced an average inflation rate of 6.07% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, elementary and high school tuition and fees costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $251.58 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.91% during this same period, inflation for elementary and high school tuition and fees was significantly higher.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 12%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for elementary and high school tuition and fees during the 1981-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for elementary and high school tuition and fees was higher.

Price Inflation for Elementary and high school tuition and fees since 1977

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1982 (12.31%), 1981 (12%), and 1980 (11.99%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Elementary and high school tuition and fees, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1981$20.0012.00%
1982$22.4612.31%
1983$24.599.46%
1984$26.999.78%
1985$29.398.88%
1986$31.908.55%
1987$34.879.33%
1988$38.159.41%
1989$41.468.65%
1990$45.128.84%
1991$48.888.33%
1992$52.747.89%
1993$56.507.15%
1994$59.895.98%
1995$63.986.84%
1996$67.345.24%
1997$71.115.60%
1998$75.996.87%
1999$80.796.31%
2000$86.366.90%
2001$91.976.49%
2002$98.346.92%
2003$104.876.65%
2004$111.936.73%
2005$119.266.54%
2006$126.185.81%
2007$133.145.52%
2008$140.835.77%
2009$148.195.22%
2010$154.134.01%
2011$159.963.78%
2012$165.673.57%
2013$171.733.66%
2014$178.413.89%
2015$185.293.86%
2016$191.803.51%
2017$198.683.59%
2018$206.874.12%
2019$214.263.57%
2020$219.902.63%
2021$225.562.58%
2022$232.302.99%
2023$242.564.42%
2024$251.583.72%*

* 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 Elementary and high school tuition and fees:

Year197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI57.60059.33164.60072.34681.03191.00899.615109.354119.062129.238141.292154.585167.962182.808198.031213.662228.931242.631259.223272.815288.100307.892327.315349.892372.615398.415424.892453.500483.169511.223539.442570.583600.396624.473648.102671.214695.784722.824750.706777.085804.950838.132868.069890.926913.880941.174982.7411019.294

Adjust elementary and high school tuition and fees prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Elementary and high school tuition and fees was 81.031 in the year 1981 and 1019.294 in 2024:

1019.294 / 81.031 * $20 = $251.58

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $251.58 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Elementary and high school tuition and fees).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Elementary and high school tuition and fees in 1977. In addition to elementary and high school tuition and fees, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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