Study Finds Parents Frustrated With Back-to-School Shopping, Education Costs
It's almost that time of year again, when children will be making their way back to school. Some states will see students go back as early as this month, while other states send kids back in September.
But before sending kids off to another year of school, parents have to shell out a significant amount of money for back-to-school shopping, which is only magnified in households with more than one student.
Of course, back-to-school shopping isn't just about supplies. Kids need new clothes and sneakers, also, and the older students get, the more pressure there is to buy the best and most expensive name-brand clothing.
According to a study done by WalletHub's John S. Kiernan, 53% of parents say they will spend more this year than they did last year, while 33% say they'll spend the same, and only 14% say they'll spend less.
A whopping 72% say schools ask parents to buy too many supplies.
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When it comes to finding the best deals, 60% of respondents said going local is the best bet, while 40% suggested shopping online.
For parents with children going to college, 91% said the cost of education is "out of control," and 57% of respondents admit the cost of education is holding them back financially.
Capital One Shopping research showed that back-to-school spending per child in the U.S. actually decreased 1.84% from 2023 to 2024. Americans spent $135.5 billion in 2023 and $125.4 billion the following year.
However, total back-to-school spending (including college) across the country is estimated to rise to $133.1 billion in 2025 and continually increase every year before hitting $168.7 billion in 2029.
Much of that is driven by back-to-college spending, which is seeing the larger year-to-year increase. The average household spent $1,364.75 on college supplies in 2024, while the K-12 average was $586.
According to EducationData.org, the average cost of college in the United States is $38,720 per student per year, and that includes books, supplies and day-to-day living expenses.
The average cost of college has more than doubled since 2001, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.04%.
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