The Real Cost of ASU Textbooks by Major (2026 Data)
How much do ASU textbooks actually cost per semester? We break it down by major — from engineering to nursing to journalism.
Nobody Actually Knows What Textbooks Cost — Until It's Too Late
ASU publishes an estimated cost of attendance that includes a line item for "books and supplies." The number they use is in the $1,000–1,200 range per year. For some majors, that's roughly right if you buy used. For others, it's wildly optimistic.
Here's a realistic breakdown by major, based on actual course requirements.
Engineering (Fulton Schools)
Estimated new cost per semester: $400–700
Realistic used cost: $80–200
Engineering has some of the most expensive individual textbooks — circuits, signals, thermodynamics, and electromagnetics texts run $200+ each. But the used market is strong because high enrollment courses cycle through the same books every semester.
Fulton students who buy used and resell consistently spend $100–200 per semester net. The ISTB buildings and ASU List are where most of those deals happen.
Nursing (College of Nursing and Health Innovation)
Estimated new cost per semester: $600–1,200
Realistic used cost: $150–300
Nursing has the highest textbook costs of any major at ASU. Lewis's Medical-Surgical Nursing, Harding's Study Guide, a pharmacology text, and clinical manuals add up fast. First-year nursing semesters are the most expensive; upper-division courses reuse some books and require fewer new ones.
Buying used and using the cohort network brings this down significantly.
W. P. Carey Business
Estimated new cost per semester: $300–600
Realistic used cost: $50–150
Business textbooks are expensive but widely available used. The high enrollment of W. P. Carey courses — many with 300+ students — means supply is abundant. The biggest cost trap is online homework platforms bundled with new books.
McCord Hall students who coordinate within their major network often share or swap rather than buy.
Pre-Med / Life Sciences
Estimated new cost per semester: $400–800
Realistic used cost: $100–250
The pre-med sequence runs through several semesters of expensive textbooks — Campbell Biology, Zumdahl Chemistry, Saladin A&P, and eventually biochemistry texts. The good news: these books are in high demand, so they sell quickly when you're done.
Computer Science (Fulton / SCAI)
Estimated new cost per semester: $200–400
Realistic used cost: $0–100
CS has the highest proportion of free legal alternatives of any major. OSTEP for operating systems, Think Java for intro courses, O'Reilly access through ASU Library — a motivated CS student can often spend close to nothing on textbooks, especially in upper-division courses where professors post materials on Canvas or GitHub.
Psychology
Estimated new cost per semester: $200–400
Realistic used cost: $40–120
Intro psych textbooks (Myers, Schacter) are widely available used because PSY 101 is taken by thousands of students. Upper-division psych gets more specialized, but most courses have manageable textbook requirements.
Education (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College)
Estimated new cost per semester: $150–350
Realistic used cost: $40–100
Education textbooks tend to be cheaper than STEM or health sciences. Many courses use edited volumes, government publications, or OER materials. Student teaching semesters often have minimal textbook requirements.
Journalism and Mass Communication (Cronkite School)
Estimated new cost per semester: $100–250
Realistic used cost: $30–80
Cronkite courses often use current media — articles, podcasts, live coverage — rather than expensive textbooks. The school's facilities are the real investment, not the reading list.
Barrett Honors College
Additional cost vs. standard major: Varies
Barrett students take honors versions of many courses and complete a thesis, but the textbook costs aren't dramatically different from their major baseline. Where costs can increase is in thesis research — academic databases, specialized texts, or primary sources. ASU Library access covers most of this.
The Number That Actually Matters
The difference between buying new and buying used strategically — using ASU List, Facebook Marketplace, older editions, and library access — is roughly $300–600 per semester for most majors.
Over four years, that's $2,400–4,800. For in-state tuition that's still meaningful. For out-of-state students, it's not nothing either. The ten minutes you spend searching for a used copy is the highest-return activity in your semester.
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