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Cost Per Credit Calculator

Cost per credit is the tuition divided by the credits it buys, and it is the cleanest single rate for comparing one programme against another. Tuition of 12000 spread over 30 credits gives 400 per credit, which scales to 1200 for a three-credit course and 48000 across a 120-credit degree — but only if the tuition line is the whole bill.

Cost per credit

400

Cost of a three-credit course
1,200
Cost of a 120-credit degree
48,000
Cost per contact hour
26.6667

Values update as you type. This calculator covers the single scenario its formula assumes — see Common Mistakes for what it leaves out.

The formula this calculator uses

Cost per credit = tuition / credits

T
Tuition charged for the period, before fees and housing
N
Credits the same tuition covers
C
Cost per credit — the comparable rate
H
Contact hours, used for the per-hour rate instead

How to check the result by hand

  1. 1

    Total the tuition for the period

    Add the tuition charged for one term or year and keep fees, housing and books out of it. The 12000 figure is tuition alone, which is what makes the 400 rate comparable with another institution's rate.

  2. 2

    Count the credits that tuition covers

    Use the credits the same tuition buys, not the credits a degree needs. If 12000 covers 30 credits the denominator is 30; mixing in a degree total of 120 would corrupt the rate entirely.

  3. 3

    Divide tuition by credits

    12000 divided by 30 gives 400 per credit. One division produces the rate, so carry the units through and let the answer read as currency per credit.

  4. 4

    Scale the rate to what you are pricing

    Multiply 400 by three for a standard course to get 1200, or by 120 for a degree to get 48000. Scaling after the division keeps the single rate as the source of every other figure.

  5. 5

    Cross-check fees, contact hours and the part-time schedule

    Confirm the rate is tuition-only, divide by 450 contact hours for 26.666666666666668 per teaching hour, and check the part-time rate separately, since it is often set per credit rather than by band.

For worked examples, common mistakes and the limits of this formula, read the full How To Calculate Cost Per Credit page.