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Economics

Supply & Demand on Campus: Why Textbooks Cost So Much

Inelastic demand, bundled access codes, and what students can do about it.

THE MARGIN · Sample article /12 October 2026

Textbook pricing is a textbook case of inelastic demand. When a professor assigns a book, students have few substitutes.\n\nUsed markets, rentals and open educational resources increase elasticity and push prices down.