Each Friday (almost) on AIKCU.org we feature a new graphic that highlights an important aspect of independent higher education in Kentucky.

Recently we looked at AIKCU’s relatively low average tuition compared to the Southern and national private college average tuitions. Small independent colleges are a high cost delivery model. The small classes, highly trained faculty, and student support services are an expensive way to deliver education, but they are also key to the high quality that provides value to students and families.

As today’s graph shows, for the most part, AIKCU institutions are heavily dependent on tuition as a major source of revenue. In fiscal 2007, before the current recession, 9 of 20 AIKCU member institutions relied on student tuition and fees for more than half of their revenue. This does not consider the large amounts of financial aid the institutions themselves provide to students (through their average tuition discount rate of 40 percent).

Download: AIKCU Percent of Revenue from Tuition and Fees (PDF)