Prices spike at public universities, except in Maryland

University of Maryland

(USA) Steep declines in public funding for higher education over the past five years have forced most state universities across the country to jack up tuition and fees.

The posted price of attending the University of Maryland and other state universities has risen 2 percent for in-state students since 2007 after adjusting for inflation — the lowest rate of increase in the nation for four-year public institutions, the College Board said in a recent report.

In Virginia, in-state tuition and fees at public universities during the same period rose 29 percent. The national average was 27 percent, with the highest rates of increase in California (72 percent) and Arizona (78 percent).