Students estimate they spend $655 annually on required course materials – that is down from $667 two years ago and from $702 four years ago, according to the latest Student Watch™ study conducted by OnCampus Research, a division of the National Association of College Stores (NACS).

"This is terrific news for students, who continue to be pressured by the higher cost of attending college. The steady decline in textbook spending indicates that the money-saving strategies college stores have implemented are working," said Charles Schmidt, NACS' director of public relations.

College stores now routinely offer students the option of renting a hard copy textbook – the format preferred by 74% of college students. The number of college stores offering textbook rental over the past two years has skyrocketed, and such print-version rental programs can save a student between 45-66% off the price of a new print textbook, he said.

In addition, college stores continue to work hard to increase their stock of used textbooks, a 25% savings for students, and digital, which can save students 40% off the new-text price. Some college stores also offer such innovations as guaranteed buyback, price-matching, and textbook sales the day before classes begin.