Abilene Times

College tuition fees rose 2.4% in Taylor County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $36,011 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $844 more than the previous school year.

Among the four institutions in the county, Abilene Christian University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $40,500. Hardin-Simmons University followed with an average of $31,686 per year. Texas College of Cosmetology-Abilene students were offered the lowest annual tuition fees at $13,250.

At the time, a total of $39.5 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Taylor County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $9.3 million.

Currently there are four higher education institutions in Taylor County, including Hardin-Simmons University, Texas College of Cosmetology-Abilene, and Abilene Christian University.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Texas College of Cosmetology-Abilene	82	$458,560	$5,592	76	$421,140	$5,541
Hardin-Simmons University	349	$8,286,222	$23,743	331	$2,556,771	$7,724
Abilene Christian University	890	$24,843,717	$27,914	441	$4,896,327	$11,103
McMurry University	266	$5,906,160	$22,204	185	$1,381,395	$7,467