College tuition has risen significantly in the last few decades. For the sake of this problem, let’s assume that over the last 20 years the cost of college, including total tuition, room, and board paid by full-time undergraduate students went from $2,871 to $16,789 at public institutions, a 485% price increase, and from

$6,330 to $33,716 at private institutions, a 433% increase. Over the same time, average personal income after taxes rose from $9,785 to $39,409 per year, an increase of 302%. Have these tuition increases made it more difficult for the average student to afford college tuition?