The University of Illinois Board of Trustees approved tuition, student fee and housing rate increases at the Urbana-Champaign, Springfield and Chicago campuses at its meeting Wednesday in Chicago.
Illinois undergraduate residents at Urbana-Champaign will experience a 2% tuition increase. Non-residents face a larger increase, ranging from 7% to 14.5% dependent on the college.
Rate changes will impact students admitted to the Fall 2026 class and later.
“This modest increase in tuition will allow us to balance the rising costs we as a university system face due to inflation with our commitment to Illinois families that the world-class education we offer remains within reach,” wrote UI System President Tim Killeen in a press release.
In-state graduate students and non-resident graduate students will also experience an increase in tuition rates. In-state students face a 1.9% to 3% increase in tuition while out-of-state students face a 2% to a 9.2% increase in tuition.
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Tuition for students at the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Illinois Springfield will also increase. Both resident and non-resident students will see an average 2% increase in tuition in Chicago and increases ranging from 2% to 7.4% in Springfield.
The tuition for all three campuses has been frozen for seven of the past 11 years.
“Universities make tuition adjustments to meet inflationary cost demands, to address critical operating needs, and, ultimately, to sustain the quality of their academic programs,” wrote the Board of Trustees in the tuition increase proposal. “An equally crucial consideration is to maintain affordability for students.”
Student fees at Urbana-Champaign are set to increase by 2% ($34 per semester). Housing will increase by 5% for entering students only.
Chicago and Springfield students will also face a 5% increase in housing fees. Chicago’s students’ fees will increase by 1.9%, or $33 per semester, and Springfield’s students’ fees will increase by 6.8%, or $96.50 per semester.
