Cost of Attendance (COA) combines tuition and fees with estimated expenses for housing, food, books, transportation, and other necessities. These living costs can make up more than half of the published college price, yet unlike tuition, they are estimates that institutions develop using data, assumptions, and methodologies that can vary considerably.

The Cost of Attendance Transparency Project brings new national evidence to this overlooked part of college affordability. Across three reports, we find wide inconsistency in how living costs are estimated—even among institutions serving students in similar local markets—and more coordination by states, systems, and other intermediaries than previous policy scans have captured. Together, the research examines how these estimates are constructed, how they compare with local costs, and what coordination and standardization can—and cannot—solve. The central challenge is balancing greater accuracy, transparency, and responsiveness with simplicity and administrative feasibility.

Explore the research below.