We can all admit to at some point desperately wanting to attend that hallowed hall of magical education that lies somewhere in the rolling hills of England, a wonderful place where a normal young boy attends school after he discovers much to his amazement that he is indeed a wizard.
That’s right, we’re talking about Hogwarts. If you say you’ve never dreamed of studying in that beautiful castle, learning spells, whipping up potions under a snooty teacher, and outwitting creepy Filch when you sneak out after hours, then you’re just lying to yourself.
It was a magical, legendary place full of wonderment and fruitful education (something most colleges probably can’t boast), but a recent article from Mic magazine also found that all that joy came with quite a hefty price tag. The writers used J.K. Rowling’s estimate that one galleon equalled roughly five British pounds, and went from there, accounting for tuition, books (and wands and cauldrons and whatnot), even the proper school robes. The total comes to a whopping $43,031 by their full estimates. That puts Hogwarts right up their with the top 50 most expensive schools in the U.S.
But for the fans who began freaking out at that horrifying figure, there was quick relief coming from the master of the Potter universe herself. Rowling tweeted a response to the article, asserting that:
@emmalineonline1 @micnews There’s no tuition fee! The Ministry of Magic covers the cost of all magical education!
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 17, 2015
So in other words, Hogwarts has maintained its status as the coolest school in all of existence.
We also hope that Rowling’s decision to enact a free tuition system for one of the most famed educational institutions in pretty much all of creation might rub off on schools in the Muggle world. After all, without the financial burden, every college can feel like Hogwarts! Seems fair right?
Thanks for the reminder Snape, we knew we could count on you.