We originally made our son’s college search spreadsheet with $ numbers out of a guide or website or something.
Now that his apps are in, I recently updated the spreadsheet with the latest cost numbers I could find on each college’s website.
Everyone had increases (except Purdue of course), but they weren’t huge. Case was the only one that made me choke a little. I spent some time trying to make sure I hadn’t screwed something up with the initial costs I had previously entered. They’ve just increased costs way more than the rest of the schools on our list. It was kind of a bummer because it went from being one of the more affordable schools to the most expensive school on our son’s list. Which is their prerogative, of course.
After his visits, our son said Case was his top choice. Now that he knows about the price increase, he said he doesn’t really care if he gets admitted because it’s too expensive anyway. Then I reminded him there’s a chance it could be affordable because they have good aid. They certainly have the applicants to fill the classes and I’m glad that more students are excited about going there. It’s a neat place.
Depending on when the numbers were from CWRU was a school that held cost during the pandemic and then did a catch up jump last year. So that could be some of what you are seeing. It was a major jump after not increasing. Some schools didn’t hold. Others held but did the increase a different way. UM was another that held and last year did a major increase. Emory on the other hand never held so it looks like a more traditional jump. Some schools had been increasing at a slower rate in the first place and then somewhere in there have a big jump with a letter apologizing for the surprise extra increase. It happens sporadically. Personally I know one of those well. Two years before I attended emory they realized too many applications so they did a major price increase. It didn’t help so they did it again. So my junior year old HS (I graduated HS in 1990) Emory was showing tuition around 5k. Then my senior year it was 8K. When I started it was over 10k. Thing is that still happens occasionally so a school can show a 45k tuition one year and 50k the next. Sometimes when that happens the classes already in the school get to keep a rate closer to where they started but the incoming have a surprise. I think CWRU also did one of those recently on top of the large catch up increase. Mine is a freshman but pretty sure I saw people ahead of her have a surprise.
I haven’t been paying close attention, unlike people (such as yourself) who have students there. But according to the school paper, there have been increases each year lately. This doesn’t include room & board which (I think?) have also seen some steep increases.
I have them at $61,548 for next year’s tuition and fees. Last year was $56,720. That’s an increase of more than 8% after several years of pretty big increases. Here’s a plot from an article in the school paper.
It was an analogy - just to show another part of life comparison.
In the end, people can spend where and when they want.
Some schools like Miami and Denver re price many, maybe even most through merit.
If you add up, via the last CDs, those who got need plus merit (assuming none got both which we know is unlikely), then 56% got something meaning 44% didn’t get anything.
So those 44% minimum agree to pay in full and that’s certainly fine.
A school like WUSTL has nearly 1/4 of students in the top 1% of incomes - I can’t even comprehend - making $620k plus.
It was just an analogy to show the enormity of the gross, not net cost.
Low yield and all, CWRU knows what it’s doing from a business perspective. It fills its classes. It’s academic rep is stellar. And it’s AA- bond rating shows its got its finances well under control.
Hey everyone…could you post your/your child’s stats and acceptance/deferrral/rejection and Merit award if any so others in the future can see this info for reference.
Exactly. Average net price for CWRU for 2020-21 was $38,166, so they are heavily discounting (with all the caveats that using IPEDs data brings to the table). College Navigator - Case Western Reserve University
Not sure where you are getting your numbers? 2021-22 CDS (Section H2) shows 952/1606 (59%) first years qualify for need based aid, of those, 923 (57%) were awarded need based aid (and some of this group also received merit aid, which is included in the numbers in this section per the instructions).
Then, another 603 students who did not qualify for need based aid received merit aid, on average $24,865 (section H2a). So, 1,526 (923+603) of the 1,606 first years received merit and/or need based aid…so 95% of CWRU’s first years (again 21-22) are not paying full boat.
Got it, but you’re still misrepresenting the proportion of full pays, as many who don’t qualify for need based aid receive merit awards (and why CWRU can make sense for those merit hunters who can’t afford their EFC and/or don’t want to be full pay).
Assuming neither got both (which is unlikely) that would be 3140 getting money - so I’m giving that # a higher % than it likely is. That’ 56%. That’s how I get 44% of the entirety of the school is full pay.
Now that may be skewing lower - I don’t know - but that’s the case from the CDS - as I see it at least.
PS - I never said it didn’t make sense for many. I said 44% pay full and for them that’s fine. If 44% are paying full, then the other 56% are getting need or merit aid - which I noted - and that’s fine too. My actual words were: In the end, people can spend where and when they want.
I also noted that other schools might “reprice” more via merit.
Because it’s important to not mislead people, I will work thru the numbers again.
If you take the all full time ug student column, 2,534 of 5,575 QUALIFIED for need based aid. The numbers in this section also include merit based aid IF that was used to meet full need.
In section H2A, 2,311 total full-time students who did NOT qualify for need based aid received merit aid ($24,547 on average). There is no overlap between these two sections H2 and H2A.
So, 4,845 (2,534 + 2,311) received need and/or merit aid, which is 87% of all students (so only 13% are full pay). Interestingly, that is quite a bit lower than just the first years who receive any merit or need based aid (95% from my post above, so only 5% full pay in that class).
Son deferred EA. 4.0/4.5, 35 ACT. Natl music award, wide variety of ECs, including mentoring, honor societies, built an app (self-taught coding) and research in a biomedical engineering lab at state flagship university. Language award/ bi-literacy certificate, selected for language exchange program this past summer. Captain of swim team, on team all 4 years. He attended 1 virtual session through his school, but didn’t visit campus. I think CWRU really considers demonstrated interest in making their decisions.
D admitted EA 3.8/4.6 strong leadership ECs and depth in activities , Summer leadership program in field of study, 2 in person sessions in local market and School but couldn’t get to campus. 28k merit. She is very excited for admitted student day visit.
No I’m not - I’m looking at all full year - 2534 of 5575 got need based aid. Right below it 606 of 5575 got non need scholarship.
Your #s for first year would be 861 of 1606 getting need and 355 of 1606 getting non need.
EDIT - @mwfan is teaching me in PM - I have been using row G but there is another section on the next page that I’ve always been unaware of - so wow - big lesson here and thanks to @Mwfan1921 for pulling me aside and explaining that there’s an additional section.
37k merit/year. 3.9 UW. In campus visits, etc. Really good essay.
I wonder if some of the high stats kids who have been deferred EA are done so because CWRU is reserving merit awards for regular decision. They can’t give it all out in ED and EA, but these kids who are deferred for EA would likely get it if accepted in regular or ED2.
Education costs aside, the question is what is more valuable? A luxury car or a college education? Since millions in the US get cars with that price tag or more, but then some of them complain about paying that for their children’s education. Some people can do both, some people can’t do either and some have to pick their poison. Being ok with a luxury car price tag but not with the price tag of a luxury education (it is, it’s a highly recognized private school) it’s part of what’s wrong to start with.
Son was accepted EA. Received University Scholarship of $43,500 and $8400 grant (most schools gave him $3500 grant in financial aid so more generous than we thought they’d be.) So we feel like we hit the jackpot as far as Case Western offers go. Brings COA to about $35K (still about $10K higher than our budget goal but still in consideration.)
He has a 4.0 unweighted GPA with AP & advanced classes. 1450 SAT (750 math, 700 reading) is a National Hispanic Merit Scholar (as per PSAT) and USA Gymnastics Academic All-American. Good amount of volunteer work, level 10 gymnast, honors band (drums) and some leadership in gymnastics and band.
As far as showing interest, he attended an open house junior year and did a virtual interview early senior year.
Congrats! so if my math is correct, you received $51,900/year scholarship, plus $35K gap, which leads to total $87K/year total COA for CWRU? Is CWRU so expensive?
