Are textbook prices too high? A look into UMich textbook costs

Textbooks are an essential part of nearly every college student’s experience. Whether an online version, a tattered used book or a copy borrowed from fellow classmates, these reading materials serve as a base for many college courses. However, some classes impose a total textbook cost as high as $297.50, according to The Michigan Daily’s data team. The Daily looked into how textbook prices at the University of Michigan compare between classes, departments and course levels, utilizing course syllabi from the University’s course guides and data from U-M Barnes & Noble and Amazon for 146 courses offered in the fall 2024 semester and winter 2025 semester.

Digital copies were a more affordable option for students, coming to an average of $39.24. Buying a physical copy of a textbook was the least affordable option, costing an average of $63.03. This price includes both used and new versions of textbooks.

U-M freshmen bear the largest cost for textbooks each year, with many introductory-level courses requiring the most textbooks. The average price for textbooks of 100-level courses at the University came to $51.30. As students take more difficult courses, the burden of textbook prices lowers, with 400-level courses coming to $25.61 on average for required materials.

U-M language courses were associated with the highest required textbook costs, coming to a price average of $106.12. The Daily specifically looked at textbooks for French, German and Spanish courses. The most affordable courses were upper level writing courses, with $15.77 on average spent on required textbooks. However, the cost of optional books was highest for upper level writing courses compared to other courses’ optional book costs.

The Daily also interviewed U-M professors and students about textbook prices in the articles below.

Daily News Reporter Ji Hoon Choi and Staff Reporters Thomas Gala-Garza, Chiara Dettin, Delilah Dakis and Elizabeth Foley can be reached at jicho@umich.edu, tmgala@umich.edu, chiarald@umich.edu, delilahd@umich.edu and elfoley@umich.edu.

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