Penn State’s Board of Trustees has approved the operating budget and tuition schedule for the 2026–27 academic year, with targeted increases at University Park and selective campuses—while holding steady elsewhere. Here’s a comprehensive overview:
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🎓 Tuition Overview
University Park
In-state undergraduates & graduates: 2% increase (~$205/semester), bringing full-time, lower-division in-state tuition to $10,439/semester or $20,878/year .
Out‑of‑state students: 4% hike (~$857/semester), resulting in $22,287/semester or $44,574/year .
Commonwealth Campuses (19 regional sites)
In-state undergraduates: Tuition frozen for the fourth straight year—students continue paying between $6,784–7,694/semester, depending on campus .
Out-of-state undergrads: 1% increase (~$117–133/semester) .
Graduate students: In-state +1%, out-of-state +2% .
Penn State World Campus, Dickinson Law, College of Medicine
World Campus: 1% across the board .
Dickinson Law: 2% increase .
College of Medicine: 2% for in-state and 4% for out-of-state students .
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💡 Rationale Behind the Increases
The tuition boost will generate an estimated $52 million, earmarked primarily for:
A 3% merit pool for faculty and staff raises.
A 4% stipend increase for graduate assistants.
Funding for promotions, professional development, and rising healthcare costs .
President Neeli Bendapudi emphasized that Penn State has pursued cost savings—such as hiring freezes, voluntary departures, and campus consolidations—but external inflation and stagnant government funding necessitate modest tuition increases at University Park .
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🎯 Strategic Value & Affordability
Penn State compares favorably to peer institutions in the Big Ten and Pennsylvania state-system schools, where tuition increases often exceed 3.6% .
The continued tuition freeze at Commonwealth campuses supports the university’s commitment to affordability and access, benefiting approximately 18,000 in-state undergraduates (about 42% of the in-state undergraduate population) .
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🏡 Housing & Dining Rates
The Board also approved modest increases in housing and food rates:
University Park: 2.75% for housing and 3% for meal plans, resulting in $7,138/semester for a double room with mid-level dining .
Commonwealth residential campuses: Increases vary—typically ~1.64%, with some flat or minimal hikes .
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✅ Final Approval & Next Steps
The full Board formally endorsed these changes in a 31–3 vote on July 18, 2025, finalizing the budget and fee adjustments .
The budget takes effect July 1, 2026, running through June 30, 2027, and detailed tuition and fee schedules will be published at tuition.psu.edu.
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With measured tuition increases alongside strategic investments in staff and student support, Penn State aims to balance affordability, academic qual
ity, and institutional sustainability for the 2026–27 academic year.
