Columbia confirmed Obama graduated in 1983 with a degree in political science, but without honors.
but, Obama first started out in 1979 at Occidental College in Los Angeles. The cost of an education at Occidental:
- Cost of Attendance $50,309
- Tuition and Fees $36,971
- Room and Board $10,270
- Books and Supplies $988
- Other Expenses $2,080
Obama went to Occidental for two years and then transferred to Columbia University in New York City before graduating in 1983. The cost of an education at Columbia:
- Cost of Attendance $51,266
- Tuition and Fees $39,226
- Room and Board $9,980
- Books and Supplies $1,000
- Other Expenses $1,060
Obama did not graduate from Harvard until 1991 - twelve years after starting his college education. On the other hand, the story in the news has been about Sarah Palin's college education. She first enrolled in college in 1982 and graduated for the University of Idaho in 1987 - only five years later, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications & Journalism and a minor in Political Science.
We know that Sarah Palin attended state schools with much lower costs than Barack Obama. We also know that she earned scholarships to pay for most of her education costs. What we don't know is how Barack Obama paid for his expensive education. The costs that I listed above do not even include the costs of Harvard.
Obama has stated that he had student loans that he paid off with the proceeds from his book, but tax returns provided by him have shown that his student loans did not exist at the time his book was published.
See article: Obama’s Harvard Years: Questions Swirl
Source of college costs: collegedata.com