But we can sketch a reasoned estimate and narrative.
What might the payment of a boomer look like? Let’s establish a rough benchmark. Consider a boomer attending undergraduate college in 1970, which is near the beginning of the boom generation.
According to historical data:
In 1970, the average annual tuition at a public university was about $405. This covers just tuition and fees. At a private university, it was about $1,792.
Reddit
Some sources include room, board, and other costs. They put the “cost of attendance” in the early ’70s nearer to $1,410 for public institutions. For private ones, it was around $2,930.
Kamunity Blog
At the University of Pennsylvania in 1970, undergrad tuition + fees was about $2,350. This also included room & board and other costs.
University Archives and Records Center
Your “boomer” might have paid only a few hundred dollars. This would apply if they attended a public state university in 1970. This amount covers tuition and fees alone. At a private college where all costs were included, the total would be a few thousand.
Adjusting to “today’s dollars”
To convert those 1970 numbers into 2025 equivalent, we need an inflation measure. Because college costs have outpaced general inflation, a direct CPI-based conversion underestimates how much “real” burden has shifted. But for a general idea: The inflation multiplier from 1970 to 2025 is roughly × 8 to × 10. It depends on which inflation index you use.
Meanwhile, college tuition inflation (especially for private and overall cost of attendance) has grown much faster than general inflation.
Education Data Initiative +3
Several illustrative scenarios are the following. Approximate inflation factors and 1970 costs are given for each type. This includes an equivalent in 2025 dollars. Here are some rough scenarios. There is an approximate inflation factor and an equivalent in 2025 dollars for each type. The 1970 cost is also provided.
Approximate inflation factors and costs for different types are listed. In 1970, public tuition and fees were $405, which was the public-only cost. This has an approximate inflation factor of × 9, leading to an equivalent of about $3,600 in 2025 dollars. Public full cost, which includes tuition, room, and board, was $1,410. This also has a multiplier of × 9, making it approximately $12,700 today. Private full cost, covering tuition plus room and board, was $2,930 in 1970. With the same inflation factor, it’s around $26,400 now. Elite private tuition, covering tuition only, was about $2,350 then. The inflation adjustment brings this figure to roughly $21,150 today. The multiplier could be somewhat higher or lower depending on the inflation index. However, the actual cost today for full attendance is much higher at many institutions. This includes tuition, room & board, and fees. These costs surpass the inflation-adjusted numbers. That’s because college-specific cost inflation has been more severe than broad inflation.
What people pay today (for reference)
Here are some modern numbers to anchor the estimate. In-state public 4-year tuition plus fees is frequently in the $10,000-$12,000 range or more. This is before room & board.
Private colleges’ sticker tuition is often $30,000-$60,000 per year or more (not counting housing).
The total cost of attendance for many private universities easily exceeds $60,000 per year. This includes room, board, books, and fees.
What’s a fair “boomer degree in today’s dollars”?
Putting those pieces together:
A boomer attended a state university in 1970 and paid $405 for tuition only. They might find today’s equivalent is $3,500-$5,000. This is if scaled linearly by general inflation.
But a boomer paying full costs at a private college (~$3,000 in 1970) might be around $25,000-$30,000 today. This includes tuition plus all costs.
Real college costs have grown faster than inflation. Therefore, the real burden today is much higher. A straight scaling suggests it is less.
So the takeaway is more meaningful. What a boomer “paid” (adjusted) is much less than what today’s students are paying. The gap arises because higher education has become disproportionately more expensive over the decades.