Graphic Journalism: Skyrocketing Textbook Prices

Textbooks comprise an essential part of the contemporary education but the problem of the contemporary education is the skyrocketing price of textbooks. Textbook prices increased drastically and they keep growing while new editions and new textbooks appear almost every year that urges students to buy brand new textbooks almost every year with a vague chance of buying a suitable used textbook. In such a situation, the problem tends to aggravate and needs the adequate solution because the rise of the price of the higher education for students and the public education for the state and taxpayers increases costs of education unreasonably, while publishers maximize their profits.

At first glance, students, who attend public schools, are not concerned with high costs of textbooks, because they use them for free, while the government provides them with textbooks by covering costs of textbooks for students, who obtain the public education (DeVriend 4). This is why students do not care much about the price of textbooks until the post-secondary education. The growth of textbook prices leads to the growth of the public spending on the public education. The public education becomes a burden for state budgets as well as taxpayers, whose taxes are used to cover costs of the public education.

It is only at the post-secondary education stage that students have to cover costs of their textbooks on their own and that is when the unreasonably high price of textbooks becomes a serious burden for students and their family budget. They have to pay the full price of textbooks to have the opportunity to obtain the higher education. In such a way, students cover costs of the higher education, while those costs grow steadily as they comprise a large part of total costs of the higher education.

Educators believe textbooks are essential for student learning and the contemporary education is still grounded on the extensive use of textbooks, although educators introduce online e-textbooks but they are still costly. Therefore, students cannot learn successfully without using textbooks. They have to buy textbooks to obtain their education and to learn successfully. Textbooks help them to learn effectively and to meet educational standards and educators’ requirements concerning their academic development, knowledge and skills which they acquire in the course of education.

The alternative option for students to cope with high costs of textbooks is the purchase of used textbooks which though are also costly for students. However, the rise of the price of new textbooks leads to the rise of used textbooks as well. Moreover, publishers issue new editions and publish new textbooks almost on the annual basis and they are not always capable to keep pace with the introduction of new textbooks. This is why used textbooks are not always available or possible to use for students. Students need to buy expensive new textbooks, while alternative options are not always available to them.

In addition, resale of textbooks raises the problem of the possible violation of the copyright. In such a situation, the demand on new textbooks increases even more that leads to the further rise of their price as well as the price of used textbooks (Sortino, 6). Publishers are naturally interested in the minimization of resale of textbooks because used textbooks or resold new textbooks deprive them of profits which they could obtain by selling more new textbooks. 

In such a situation, publishers of textbooks raise prices of textbooks to the unreasonably high level. Textbook prices have increased over 800% since 1978 (Zook 5). This means within less than forty years prices of textbooks have increased more than eightfold. Even the inflation rate and the change in the value of the US dollar do not justify such unparalleled increase in the textbook price. The rise of textbook prices outpaced the growth of medical services which increased over 500% within the same timeline, new home costs which increased over 300% and the consumer index price which increased by 250% (Zook, 6). Therefore, the rise of the price of textbooks is disproportional to the average growth of prices or inflation rate.

Publishers attempt to justify the increase of the textbook price by increased costs of production and royalties paid to the authors of textbooks. Nevertheless, costs of production of textbooks did not increase eightfold as did prices of textbooks. Hence, the growing criticism of pricing policies conducted by largest publishers of textbooks is, to a significant extent, justified. Therefore, arguments of publishers in an attempt to justify the skyrocketing price of textbooks are inconsistent. There is no reasonable explanation for such a high rise of the price of textbooks but exorbitant profits publishers want to earn.

At the same time, the high price of textbooks is not just the matter of profits of publishers or expenses of students but it is the matter of the availability of education and costs of education. At this point, both the public education and post-secondary students are under a threat because they have to pay the high price for textbooks (Guthrie & Moore 7). The public education covers costs of textbooks for students. The high price of textbooks increases costs of the public education and taxpayers, who actually cover costs of the public education, also have to cover the high price of textbooks, while publishers gain their high profits. As a result, the public education becomes a burden for the state and taxpayers.

However, the high price of textbooks is even a greater burden for students because they have no one to support them, unless they have received a grant or other support. This is why students, who study at their own cost, have to pay the high price that raises the problem of the affordability of education for them. In such a case, students may even face a risk of dropping out of college because, if they cannot buy textbooks, they can hardly learn successfully. As a result, their academic performance deteriorates and they just drop out. This is why the price of textbooks is the matter of costs and availability of education to students.

Thus, the problem of skyrocketing textbook prices is a serious challenge for students, their families, state and taxpayers because, ultimately, it is them who pay for textbooks to make them available to students. The rise of the price of textbooks is harmful for students, state, and taxpayers. The only party that benefits from the rise of textbook prices consists of publishers and authors of textbooks. Publishers attempt to take advantage of their position and manipulate with the need of students to use textbooks, because they cannot learn successfully without textbooks. This is why students, state, and the public are interested in the balanced and reasonable price of textbooks, while publishers just attempt to maximize their profits. Hence, the problem of the high price of textbooks needs solution to balance the price and affordability of education.

Works Cited:

DeVriend, A. “College Textbook Prices Skyrocketing.” KFDM. 2016. Web. 02 May 2018.

Guthrie, L. and Moore, S. “The Fight Against Skyrocketing Textbook Prices.” Darden Case No. UVA-G-0638. 2017. Web. 02 May 2018.

Sortino, O. “College Textbook Costs Are Skyrocketing.” Odyssey. 2015. Web. 02 May 2018.

Zook, C. Infographic: Textbook Costs Skyrocket 812% in 35 Years.” Applied Education Systems,. 2017. Web. 02 May 2018.

The terms offer and acceptance. (2016, May 17). Retrieved from

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"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016.

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

freeessays.club (2016) The terms offer and acceptance [Online].
Available at:

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]

"The terms offer and acceptance." freeessays.club, 17 May 2016

[Accessed: March 29, 2024]
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