TEXTBOOK RIPOFF? It may not be news that textbooks take a toll on both your back and wallet. But the increases are reaching mind-boggling levels, with some titles exceeding $400. According to NBC’s review of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, textbook prices have spiked 1,041 percent since 1977—an exorbitant spike that more than triples the overall rate of inflation. The average undergraduate at a four-year school will spend over $1,200 on books and supplies, according to College Board.