You May Not Need That Student Loan After All. Here's the Latest College Tuition Trend.

Americans love to grouse about the rising cost of college. But consider this: The average in-state student at a public university now pays only $2,480 a year in net tuition and fees. Tuition, of course, is only one item on the list of college expenses. Room and board can cost more. But the full cost of attending a public college is falling, rather than rising, after you adjust it for inflation.