Meaning & use

college tuition

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈkɒl.ɪdʒ tjuˈɪʃ.ən/
US/ˈkɑː.lɪdʒ tuˈɪʃ.ən/

Meaning

  1. noununcountable

    The money a student pays for teaching and classes at a college or university, not counting living costs or books.

    Grammar: Uncountable: college tuition is rising, not a college tuition.

    Patterns

    • pay college tuition
    • college tuition at something

    Her parents saved for years to pay college tuition.

    College tuition at private universities can exceed forty thousand dollars a year.

    He worked two jobs to cover his college tuition.

Common combinations

pay college tuition
They pay college tuition in two installments.
rising college tuition
Rising college tuition worries many families.
college tuition costs
College tuition costs differ widely between states.
free college tuition
Some countries offer free college tuition.
afford college tuition
A scholarship helped her afford college tuition.

Synonyms and how they differ

tuition fees
Tuition fees is the standard British phrase for the same charge.
school fees
School fees may cover primary or secondary education, and college tuition refers to higher education.
education costs
Education costs is broader and includes housing, books and supplies.

Word family

tuition noun
fees for instruction
college noun
a school for higher education
tutor noun
someone who gives lessons

Commonly confused: college tuition or intuition?

college tuition vs intuition

Intuition is an instinctive feeling, and it has no link with money or schooling.

Practice

What does college tuition cover?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “college tuition”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words