{Infographic} How Universities are Spending Your Tuition Money

Tuition (too-ish-uhn) n. : A dreaded term capable of producing shivers up even the most courageous parent’s/student’s spine; also known as the ‘Word-That-Must-Not-Be-Spoken’

In recent years, a lack of government subsidy to our higher education institutions have forced schools to compensate by upping tuition costs. Rising costs inevitably lead to the question “Where exactly is my money going?” Asking your old chum, Google, is one way to hash out how colleges are using your tuition. A simpler way is to look over the below infographic created by Academic Earth. They’ve completed the leg work for you by mapping out exactly where your funds are going.

For example, below you’ll find the total school spending per each full-time student enrolled within the Public Master’s Sector. Nearly half a student’s tuition (45%) goes to paying faculty salaries. Institutional support comes in second at 15%, with college operations and management isn’t far behind at 12%. The remaining 28% is divvied up between academic support, research, public service, and student services.

Read on for a more in-depth look at what your college tuition covers vs. how much government subsidies cover.