In 1926, $100 could cover most of a student’s education and living expenses. In 2026, that same amount often lasts less than a week. Comparing what $100 could buy then and now reveals how academic costs and campus life have changed over the past century.
Archival records retrieved from the Hagerty Library showed that $100 went a long way for Drexel students in 1926. During the summer session, tuition was $5 per credit, so $100 could cover 20 credits. Some full-year programs, such as Home Economics, cost $215.
Housing and food were also relatively affordable: room and board for the year ranged from $160 to $250, and during the summer session, students paid $14 per week. $100 could cover several weeks of housing and meals. Additional fees were also modest: late registration cost $5, and laboratory courses required a $5 deposit.
Transportation was inexpensive and often part of daily life, with students commonly commuting by trolley or rail, costing about 8-10 cents per ride.
Today, a hundred dollars might pay for a single textbook, an online access code, a week of groceries, or a small portion of rent or utilities. At Drexel, tuition alone now costs more than $20,000 per term; $100 covers 0.5 percent of the cost. Housing is similarly expensive, with a dorm room typically costing more than $2,000 per term.
Transportation costs have also risen in comparison to 1926. While students back then might have paid only a few cents for a trolley or rail ride, today, a weekly SEPTA pass costs around $30, so a $100 budget lasts only a few weeks. Similarly, textbooks and other course materials, which cost just a few dollars in 1926, can now cost $400 per term.
Instead of covering long-term academic expenses, a hundred dollars is now more often spent on immediate, short-term needs. However, in 1926, Drexel University was just a single building with no dorms and few amenities — maybe one was getting what they paid for.