Report: College students loosely budget $450 for back-to-school

Oberlin, Ohio - College students budgeted an average of $447.75 for back-to-college shopping, not including textbooks. However, a recent student panel survey conducted by OnCampus Research, the research arm of indiCo, a division of the National Association of College Stores, shows that despite considering price the most important factor in back-to-school purchases, college students do not always follow or even create a budget.



When asked, 38.6% of college students indicated they set a budget, yet don’t always stick to it, 34.3% do not set a budget, and 27.1% say they both set a budget and stick to it. The majority (55.8%) of college students do most of their back-to-school shopping a few weeks before classes start. Only 2.2% wait until the day of classes to shop.