Student Spending on Textbooks Continues to Decline

Average student spending on college textbooks and course materials continued to decline during the fall semester of 2019, dropping 23% compared to the same term last year, according to the latest data from independent research firm Student Monitor.

According to the firm, the average student spent $205 to buy or rent course materials during the fall term, down from $265 for the 2018 fall term. The new data continues a multi-year trend: a September 2019 report from Student Monitor showed a decline of 29% in student spending on learning materials over the past five years. The findings are the result of a series of one-on-one, on-campus interviews with four-year, full-time undergraduates attending 93 colleges and universities.

The Student Monitor data mirrors similar numbers from a multi-year survey from Student Watch, which reported a drop in spending of 35% over the past five years. Student Watch’s methodology involved a survey of more than 20,000 students across 42 institutions. Student Watch is funded by the National Association of College Stores.

The decline in spending on course materials reflects students' pivot to new, cost-effective options that publishers have made available. These options include subscription models providing access to a range of textbooks, open course materials, online homework access codes and study guides for a single price.

Student Monitor found that spending on course materials for fall 2019 was distributed over a range of options. Out of the $205 in average student spending during the semester, the organization found that an average of $87 was spent on new, print textbooks; $42 on used, print textbooks; $39 on rented, print textbooks; $19 on eTextbooks with unlimited use; $12 on eTextbooks with limited-time use; and $6 on online homework solutions. Each of these categories saw a decline in average spending compared to the 2018 fall term.