Tuition Revenue Has Fallen at 61% of Colleges During the Pandemic

Net-tuition revenue — the money that institutions earn through enrollment minus any discounts and allowances provided to students — is the lifeblood of many universities. It’s the largest source of revenue for private four-year colleges, and it accounts for just over $1 of every $5 of revenue for public four-year institutions, about the same, on average, as their combined earnings from state grants, contracts, and appropriations. But over the first part of the Covid-19 pandemic, 61 percent of campuses saw that source of revenue fall.