According to Pew Research: “Middle-income households – those with an income that is two-thirds to double the U.S. median household income – had incomes ranging from about $45,200 to $135,600 in 2016.” From a story in MarketWatch: “There is no universal definition of the middle class. The Pew Research Center often uses the middle wealth quintile, the middle 20% of Americans’ income and wealth. Other economists have said it’s defined as making 50% above or below the median annual income.”
The reality is that many families do not have a local community college or state school to which they can commute. This fact drives up their cost.