University Archives and Records Center
University of Pennsylvania

Tuition and mandated fees, Room and Board and other educational costs at Penn:
1920 -1929

 

YearUndergraduate SchoolsGraduate and Professional SchoolsEstimated "Accomodations and Expenses" (*)
1920

College and the Wharton School: $250 (an increase of $50), plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $300 (an increase of $100),
plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $150, plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Education: $250 (an increase of $50), plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Fine Arts (Arch.): $300 (an increase of $100), plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Law: $250 (an increase of $50), plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Medicine: $200, plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Dental Medicine: $250 (an increase of $50), plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $100 (an increase of $50); Books and instruments: $49, plus a General Fee of $20 (an increase of $5)

Room and Board: $400
Text-books: $30
1921

College and the Wharton School: $250, plus a General Fee of $20

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $300, plus a General Fee of $20

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $150, plus a General Fee of $20

Education: $250, plus a General Fee of $20

Fine Arts (Architecture): $300, plus a General Fee of $20

Law: $250, plus a General Fee of $20

Medicine: $300 (an increase of $100), plus a General Fee of $20

Dental Medicine: $250, plus a General Fee of $20

Veterinary Medicine: Tuition: $150; Books and instruments: $49; plus a General Fee of $20

Room and Board: $350 (a decrease of $50)
Text-books: $30
1922

College and the Wharton School: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $325 (an increase of $25),
which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $162, the General Fee of $25 extra (an increase of $5)

Education: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Arch.): $325 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Law: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Medicine: $325 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $275 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $175 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $350
Text-books: $30
Laundry: $55
1923

College and the Wharton School: $275, which included the General Fee

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $325, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $200 (an increase of $38), the General Fee of $25 extra

Education: $275, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Architecture): $325, which included the General Fee

Law: $275, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $325, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $300 (an increase of $25), which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $175, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $380 (an increase of $30)
Text-books: $30
Laundry: $55
1924

College and the Wharton School: $275, which included the General Fee

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $325, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $162, the General Fee of $25 extra

Education: $275, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Arch.): $325, which included the General Fee

Law: $275, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $325, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $300, which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $175, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $380
Text-books: $30
Laundry: $55
1925

College and the Wharton School: $275, which included the General Fee

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $325, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $200, the General Fee of $25 extra

Education: $275, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Architecture): $325, which included the General Fee

Law: $275, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $325, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $300, which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $175, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $380
Text-books: $30
Laundry: $55
1926

College and the Wharton School: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee

School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS): $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $250 (an increase of $50),
which included the General Fee

Education: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Arch.): $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee

Law: $400 (an increase of $125), which included the General Fee

Medicine: $400 (an increase of $75), which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $400 (an increase of $100), which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $225 (an increase of $50), which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $380
Text-books: $30
Laundry: $55
1927College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: $400, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $250, which included the General Fee

Education: $400, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Architecture): $400, which included the General Fee

Law: $400, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $225, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $520 (an increase of $140)
Text-books: $35 (an increase of $5)
Clothing and miscellaneous: $260
1928College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: $400, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $250, which included the General Fee

Education: $400, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Arch.): $400, which included the General Fee

Law: $400, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $225, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $520
Text-books: $35
Clothing and miscellaneous: $260
1929College, School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) and the Wharton School: $400, which included the General Fee

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: $250, which included the General Fee

Education: $400, which included the General Fee

Fine Arts (Architecture): $400, which included the General Fee

Law: $400, which included the General Fee

Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Dental Medicine: $400, which included the General Fee

Veterinary Medicine: $225, which included the General Fee

Room and Board: $520
Text-books: $35
Clothing and miscellaneous: $260

Notes:

* Undergraduate expenses only

For a historical commodity price index see www.westegg.com/inflation/ and John J. McCusker, How Much Is That In Real Money? (Worcester: American Antiquarian Society, 2001).


Compiled by Mark Frazier Lloyd, Director of the University Archives and Records Center
with the assistance of
Nicholas G. Heavens, University Archives Summer Research Fellow

Published: July 2003

 

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