Higher education leaders are shaping the financial future of their institutions by being exceptional stewards of the billions of square feet of building space trusted to their care. They are achieving this mainly through adopting smart facilities management strategies.
According to Gordian’s latest State of Facilities in Higher Education report, there have been numerous benefits for colleges and universities that are diligent in their facilities planning, including increased facility reinvestment of more than 26% year-over-year in 2023. Preparing campus facilities to meet the needs of upcoming generations of students may involve renovations, modernizations or complete reconstructions.
As North America’s leading construction cost database, Gordian’s RSMeans Data has been synonymous with reliability since the 1940s, so you can trust it when budgeting for projects that will transform your campus for students, alumni, professors and staff. With localized square-foot costs on over 100 building models, Gordian’s RSMeans Data allows architects, engineers and other preconstruction professionals to quickly and accurately create conceptual estimates for future builds.
This table shows a five-year view of costs per square foot for two-story college classrooms in select cities, with sustainable, “green” building considerations.
Visit rsmeans.com/bdandc for more information about Gordian’s RSMeans Data.
| Cost per Square Foot for Two-Story College Classrooms with Green Building Considerations | ||||||
| City | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 5-Year Change |
| National Average | $220.32 | $221.38 | $229.47 | $243.54 | $255.14 | 15.80% |
| Athens, GA | $178.55 | $175.75 | $182.06 | $188.76 | $209.78 | 17.49% |
| Austin, TX | $176.56 | $179.01 | $183.94 | $196.80 | $212.22 | 20.20% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $186.09 | $186.01 | $194.43 | $207.45 | $217.55 | 16.91% |
| Tempe, AZ | $188.93 | $188.88 | $194.50 | $207.94 | $218.79 | 15.80% |
| Charlottesville, VA | $185.32 | $190.71 | $196.39 | $201.75 | $214.84 | 15.93% |
| Boulder, CO | $195.82 | $193.08 | $201.54 | $210.98 | $219.99 | 12.34% |
| Bloomington, IN | $199.80 | $199.26 | $206.05 | $216.72 | $227.59 | 13.91% |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $216.59 | $219.54 | $224.73 | $235.17 | $247.95 | 14.48% |
| Madison, WI | $216.75 | $224.27 | $227.99 | $242.15 | $257.68 | 18.88% |
| Berkeley, CA | $280.11 | $283.40 | $287.92 | $303.11 | $316.41 | 12.96% |
Please note: Square foot models are used for planning and budgeting and are not meant for detailed estimates.
