NORFOLK, Va. — Crunch time is on as families are in the final stretch before school starts.
When college students get their syllabus, one of the first things they’ll need to do is purchase textbooks.
If students are not prepared for how much textbooks can cost, they may find themselves with a bit of sticker shock.
“College textbooks really depend on what classes you're taking in your major. Math and science textbooks are notoriously expensive, with the average price of a math textbook being about $150 for one book. So, in general, college students can end up spending anywhere from $600 to $1,000 a year in textbook costs alone,” said Robert Farrington.
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor, which helps students practically prepare for school. The organization compared several online retailers to see who had the best prices and services for students.
He noted that big names like Amazon and Barnes and Noble are popular among consumers, but people also turned to AbeBooks, which has been reported to have discounts of up to 75% off.
CampusBooks has been around since the 90s and offers options to buy, rent, or sell textbooks.
ValoreBooks has a 30-day money-back guarantee, and all textbook rentals come with free shipping.
In alphabetical order, the College Investor put together the following list of the best online places to buy college textbooks:
- AbeBooks
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- BigWords
- BooksRun
- BookScouter
- CampusBooks
- Cheapest Textbooks
- Chegg
- College Books Direct
- eCampus
- SlugBooks
- ValoreBooks
Farrington also says don’t forget about your campus library.
“Most of your college libraries will keep, like, two or three textbooks for every class in stock. So, they're hot commodities, but they're free,” he says. “Also, depending on the classes you're taking, you might have lab fees, associated lab costs, you might have to buy certain technology items [or] you might have to buy certain software items.”
E-books can also be a cheaper option, but make sure that fits with your learning style.
Farrington also says to be sure to budget before you start the first day of classes.
"Your first year of college is, generally speaking, the cheapest," he said. "Realize that prices will probably go up next year, the year after, and the fourth year that you're in school. So, you know, as you see what things cost this year, really keep that in mind so that you're planning for it the following years.”
