Although times are better now than they were five years ago, colleges and universities continue raising tuition costs. According to Bloomberg, tuition and fees for public institutions rose 4.8 percent in 2012, to an average of $8,655 per academic year. Nonprofit private colleges didn't increase as much — 4.2 percent, but now average $29,056 per year; or around $116,244 for a four-year degree.