Across the U.S., parents are spending several thousand dollars on personalized dorm setups, while yearly tuition at certain colleges can cost nearly — or more than — $100,000.
Here's what to know
The push toward high-end dorm decor is unfolding amid a larger surge in school shopping. As Fortune reported, families are commissioning features such as custom headboards, wallpaper, matching bedding, and professionally installed decorations to elevate traditional dorm life for students, even if only temporarily.
CNBC calculated that once tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation, and other expenses are included, the listed annual cost at dozens of American colleges and universities lands around or above the $100,000 mark.
Back-to-school spending overall is also projected to hit a new high with the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics saying shoppers will spend $103.5 billion in 2026, or $1,437.79 on average. They expect $14 billion of that to be spent on dorm and apartment furnishings, compared with $12.8 billion in 2025.
Incoming James Madison University freshman Henley Bedwell defended the expense: "No matter how people think how absurd spending all this money on your dorm room is, your kid's gonna be here for the next nine months. Why would you not rather them be comfortable?"
More background
A small service economy has emerged around the elevated demand for "dorm couture." According to Axios, Mary Margaret Designs founder Shelly Gates turned to dorm decorating after outfitting her daughter's room at Mississippi State in 2020 and posting the results on Facebook.
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Recalling her own time at Louisiana State University, Gates said her dorm was "essentially a prison cell." The spaces she creates feature desk canopies, remote-controlled chandeliers, and commissioned art, with roughly 35 rooms booked in 2026 — some jobs reaching $20,000.
The six-figure college price tag has become a major marker in the affordability conversation. Not every student pays that full amount because of scholarships and financial aid, but the headline figure still plays a central role in how families evaluate the cost of college.
Sara Harberson, author of the college admissions guide Soundbite and founder and CEO of Application Nation, told Fortune that the look is especially common at large Southern public universities, where lower tuition or merit aid can leave more room for discretionary spending once the core expenses are covered.
What can be done?
According to NRF and Prosper, the typical family expects to spend $194 on dorm and apartment furnishings — a far cry from the cost of these deluxe room makeovers.
In Harberson's view, the trend reflects family priorities just as much as student taste, saying, "In the end, families are making it clear where and what they want to spend their money on, when it comes to college."
For those trying to "keep up with the Jones'" on a budget, finding the items you're looking for on resale marketplaces like Poshmark or Facebook Marketplace is a great way to reduce costs. Upcycling old furniture is cheaper, greener, and results in one-of-a-kind pieces.
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