Kentuckiana Times

College tuition fees rose 1.6% in Clark County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $16,936 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $263 more than the previous school year.

Among the four institutions in the county, Mid-America College of Funeral Service stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $18,000. PJ's College of Cosmetology-Clarksville followed with an average of $17,216 per year. Caris College students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $14,100.

At the time, a total of $719,297 in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Clark County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $1.3 million.

Currently there are four higher education institutions in Clark County, including PJ's College of Cosmetology-Clarksville, Mid-America College of Funeral Service, and Caris College.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Mid-America College of Funeral Service	35	$206,771	$5,908	43	$385,069	$8,955
PJ's College of Cosmetology-Clarksville	45	$230,013	$5,111	49	$360,053	$7,348
Ideal Beauty Academy	0	$0	$0	0	$0	$0
Caris College	84	$282,513	$3,363	67	$511,567	$7,635