Child care worker. (Elaine S. Povich/Stateline via the North Dakota Monitor)
(. North Dakota Monitor) – The cost of child care now exceeds the price of college tuition in 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to a new analysis conducted by the Economic Policy Institute.
The left-leaning think tank, based in Washington, D.C., used 2023 federal and nonprofit data to compare the monthly cost of infant child care to that of tuition at public colleges. In North Dakota, infant care costs $12,373 a year, 25% more than in-state tuition at a public four-year college, the analysis shows.
The tally increased five states since the pandemic began. EPI’s last analysis relied on 2020 data, which showed child care costs outstripped college costs in 33 states and Washington, D.C., said EPI spokesperson Nick Kauzlarich.
In North Dakota, the average cost child care cost for households with a 4-year-old child was $873 a month, the report found.
