Cost in higher education

Abstract

State and Federal legislature require that standard data on education-related expenditures be provided by universities and colleges in order to standardize methodology and accountability used nationwide by institutions of higher education. The aim is to review existing cost criteria and procedures for determining costs. Accounting structures vary by institution, and by school. This variability across schools makes decision making a difficult task. The objective of this research is to look into the cost structure used presently by two institutions of higher education, namely the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB). The financial data that determines the consistency of the cost metrics in the decision making process of these institutions is considered. An analysis of the cost information used to make and support decisions is presented. The variety of the cost structures within the researched institutions is analyzed and compared, in order to identify the factors that generate the differences. The research concluded that both institutions should continue to develop the cost structure to have a comparative view across schools for more efficient planning and the tracing and updating of estimates.