In Central Massachusetts, tuition, fees and room and board over the last five years increased as much as 20 percent at some schools. The cost at public universities has risen at an even faster clip, as those schools deal with the challenges of the state budget. While the costs of running a college include technology, athletic programs and facilities, by far the biggest cost is personnel, which includes highly educated, highly paid faculty. Personnel costs include benefits, such as health care, which is a budget buster for many businesses. The costs of faculty are more pronounced for schools that emphasize low student-faculty ratios, such as the College of the Holy Cross and Assumption College. The American Association of University Professors, though, notes that at a national level faculty pay has not been rising as fast as tuition.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20120819/NEWS/108199886/1237
