I remember spending under $100 for all my textbooks per semester back in the late 1970’s except for one neuroanatomy textbook that was $100 all by itself. Boy, did we complain about that.
Now, textbooks that should cost more than $25 cost well over $100. Then the kids have to buy access to some website to do homework online. Total rip off.
I try to use free e-books available through the school library or books that don’t change editions every year or two to try to save the kids some bucks, but sometimes I’m forced to use the book school has selected.
Many economics and accounting textbooks sell for $250 at the very least. My solution: tell students to buy from Amazon-plenty of used books there. Also, college bookstores are now renting out textbooks by the semester or year.
It has changed now with the internet, but many popular textbooks had international editions. Same as the US edition but usually in paperback and half the price of the US edition. However, college bookstores refused to sell the international editions.
A couple years ago, I taught a managerial accounting course.
The new edition was $250.00. The previous edition on Amazon was $30.00. I told my students to purchase the older edition. The students were not accounting majors and the older edition, 2012 textbook was just perfect for them.