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Penn History

Tuition and Mandated Fees, Room and Board, and Other Educational Costs at Penn 1920-1929

Compiled by Mark Frazier Lloyd, Director of the University Archives and Records Center, with the assistance of Nicholas G. Heavens, University Archives Summer Research Fellow

First published in 2003, with annual updates

Year	Tuition and Fees, By School	Other Expenses*
1920	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $250 (an increase of $50) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $300 (an increase of $100) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $150 General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Education: Tuition: $250 (an increase of $50) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $300 (an increase of $100) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $250 (an increase of $50) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Law: Tuition: $250 (an increase of $50) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Medicine: Tuition: $200 General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $100 (an increase of $50) General Fee: $20 (an increase of $5) Books and instruments: $49	Room and Board: $400 Text-books: $30
1921	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $250 General Fee: $20 School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $300 General Fee: $20 Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $150 General Fee: $20 Education: Tuition: $250 General Fee: $20 Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $300 General Fee: $20 Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $250 General Fee of $20 Law: Tuition: $250 General Fee: $20 Medicine: Tuition: $300 (an increase of $100) General Fee: $20 Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $150 General Fee: $20 Books and instruments: $49	Room and Board: $350 (a decrease of $50) Text-books: $30
1922	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $325 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $162 General Fee: additional $25 (an increase of $5) Education: Tuition: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $325 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $325 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $175 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $350 Text-books: $30 Laundry: $55
1923	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $200 (an increase of $38) General Fee: additional $25 Education: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $300 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $175, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $380 (an increase of $30) Text-books: $30 Laundry: $55
1924	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $162 General Fee: additional $25 Education: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Arch.): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $300, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $175, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $380 Text-books: $30 Laundry: $55
1925	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $200 General Fee: additional $25 Education: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $300, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $275, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $325, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $175, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $380 Text-books: $30 Laundry: $55
1926	Undergraduate Schools: College and the Wharton School: Tuition: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): Tuition: $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $250 (an increase of $50), which included the General Fee Education: Tuition: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Arch.): Tuition: $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $400 (an increase of $100), which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $225 (an increase of $50), which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $380 Text-books: $30 Laundry: $55
1927	Undergraduate Schools: College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $250, which included the General Fee Education: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $225, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $520 (an increase of $140) Text-books: $35 (an increase of $5) Clothing and miscellaneous: $260
1928	Undergraduate Schools: College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $250, which included the General Fee Education: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $225, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $520 Text-books: $35 Clothing and miscellaneous: $260
1929	Undergraduate Schools: College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups (Ph.D.): Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Tuition: $250, which included the General Fee Education: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Fine Arts (Architecture): Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Full-Time Graduate Groups/Professional Schools and Programs (selected non-Ph.D. programs): Dental Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Law: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Medicine: Tuition: $400, which included the General Fee Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $225, which included the General Fee	Room and Board: $520 Text-books: $35 Clothing and miscellaneous: $260

Notes

* Undergraduate expenses only

For a historical commodity price index see www.westegg.com/inflation/ and John J. McCusker, How Much Is That In Real Money? (Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 2001).