How High Textbook Prices Affect Student Decision-Making

A new report from the Public Research Interest Group (PIRG) shows many college students are struggling to pay for textbooks.

PIRG surveyed 2,000 students nationwide for the report, 178 of whom were from Wisconsin schools. Overall, two-thirds of respondents said they chose not to buy a textbook because it was too expensive.

Sarah Dobjensky, with the Wisconsin WISPIRG, said one book can cost upwards of $200. Not buying a book can save money, but Dobjensky said most students worry that the savings might cost them in terms of their grade.

“We found almost half the students we surveyed had made a decision about how many classes they wanted to take or which classes to take based on the cost of the textbook,” said Dobjensky.

Dobjensky said books cost so much because of economies of scale: Textbooks generally don’t make the best-sellers lists. Plus, she said, they are frequently updated so students can’t buy used copies or rent a version.

“It’s not like when you go to Starbucks,” said Dobjensky. “If the cost of a latte goes up to $10, you go elsewhere. You can’t do that with your textbook. The publishers are free to do what they want.”

The PIRG report encourages students to ask professors and colleges to use an “open source” model where students can access texts online, with the option to purchase a hard copy. Dobjensky said such models still allow authors — most of whom are professors — to make a profit, and keep publishing their research. The University of Minnesota has adopted this open source model.