College Costs Keep Going Up

College costs keep rising, and it can be hard for students to grasp just how much four years of school might add up to. This updated activity gives students real data and guides them to explore trends, make predictions, and think critically about planning and saving for the future. Students will practice analyzing data, creating models (line of best fit), and reflecting on results from their calculations.

Note: The data set for this activity is included in the supporting materials. Be sure to share it separately with students. We recommend using Excel, Google Sheets, or Desmos for finding the line of best fit. If you’d rather keep it off technology, you can print the graphs from the solutions and have students work it out by hand, whichever fits your teaching best. 

📝Suitable for Grades 7-HS (Make sure to read the teaching tips in the solutions, as there are different approaches and options for middle school and high school students.)
⏰Min. 60 minutes