Findings of the 2025 McMaster Textbook Affordability Survey

Abstract

Textbook prices have increased significantly over the past few decades at a rate that has been well above the rate of inflation. In addition to textbooks, other course materials such as online homework platforms and required software may also be unaffordable for students. Students often must make difficult decisions about whether to purchase course materials, and these decisions can have serious consequences for their learning and their grades. High course materials costs can lead to inequity in the classroom, with some students able to afford access to important learning resources and others going without. In Fall 2025, we surveyed undergraduate students from all faculties at McMaster to determine how much money McMaster students are spending on course materials, whether they are forgoing purchasing required textbooks and other required course materials, what they are doing instead, and how they are affected by high course material costs. This report documents our findings about the affordability of textbooks and other course materials based on the 2,757 responses received from undergraduate students at McMaster.