Gettysburg College

Gettysburg College Student Textbook Surveys

• Students spent less on books in 2022 than they did in 2019
• All students are employing more strategies to save on book costs, and feeling more negative effects
• Certain groups are disproportionately affected by book costs (first-generation students, Pell-eligible students, international students)
• Books are usually purchased with out-of-pocket money
• Students think instructors pay attention to costs, but that Gettysburg College does not
• $50 is (still) a reasonable cost per class

More about textbook surveys at Gettysburg College

2022 – Students from Gettysburg + 10 other liberal arts colleges surveyed

• Executive Summary: 2022 Gettysburg College Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey
• Friday Forum campus presentation: Spend, Stress, and Struggle: Gettysburg College Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey 2022
• Full Report: 2022 Gettysburg College Textbook Survey
• Combined results from 11-institution survey: Fall 2022 Student Textbook Survey Results

2019 – Gettysburg students surveyed

• Executive summary: 2019 Gettysburg College Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey Executive Summary
• Friday Forum campus presentation: "I spent my whole summer's wages... on books alone": Gettysburg College Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey
• Peer-reviewed journal article: Inequitable Impacts of Textbook Costs at a Small, Private College: Results from a Textbook Survey at Gettysburg College