Why are College school books so expensive?

Question

It seems like the books are so overpriced. Are they taking advantage of the students? Are the teachers in on it too since they are the ones that pick the texbooks? It seeems like there is a new edition every semester. Also colleges now have books custom made for them so you cannot buy used ones on the internet. Is the publisher, the teachers and the University all in it togethor?

Answer 1

I know!!! and thenw hen you try to sell them back they don't even give you half! they barely give oyu anything back at all!!!!

Answer 2

Honestly, for New books it's the publishers that make the books so expensive, the bookstore and the profs, barely see any of that money. If it is a used textbook then it is the Bookstore that is making the money, because they buy them back from you for very cheap and then sell them back at a good 400% markup.  

Answer 3

The teachers do not get any money from you buying the textbooks.  Textbooks are expensive because it's a limited audience.  Even the people who write them don't make much off of them - just printing a small number can be expensive.  If you have to buy a new edition, it's because the publisher changed it and you can't get the old one anymore - that's not your professor's fault, they have no control over that.