OSU Trustees Approve Big Tuition Increases Amid Growing Deficits

On Friday, Oregon State University’s Board of Trustees approved the largest tuition hikes in recent memory. And, as you’ll see they far outpace the U.S. economy’s current year-over-year consumer inflation index rate of 2.4% The increases will be painful.

The average tuition and mandatory fee increase for Oregon resident undergraduates would increase 4.97%. That’s the average, and for the majority it will be worse.

For context, tuition accounts for 57% of the university’s annual revenue, and OSU is projecting they’ll come to the end of the fiscal year with a $14 million deficit unless they do something. Missed Ecampus enrollment goals are blamed for much of the deficit, so they’re increasing those tuitions the least, likely hoping to gin up more interest.

Another driving force may be that it’s all looking worse than it did just a while ago. OSU recently updated its quarterly budget documents, and things are looking about $2 million worse than what they estimated in January.

Increases for the 2026-27 school year include:

• 5.75% for continuing resident and non-resident undergraduate students at the Corvallis and Bend campuses. That would result in a $720 increase, to a total of $13,395, for a student taking 45 credits next year.
• 6.25% for new resident and non-resident undergraduate students in Corvallis and Bend.
• 5% for resident and non-resident graduate students.
• 2.6% for continuing and new undergraduates enrolled in Ecampus, Oregon State’s online education unit.
• 2% for continuing and new graduate Ecampus students.
• 2.7 to 5% for professional graduate programs such as pharmacy, veterinary medicine and physical therapy.
• There is an increase between 4.1 and 7.7% for a one-time matriculation fee for new student onboarding.

The trustees voted 12-2 to approve the increases. At Friday’s meeting, OSU President Jayathi Murthy told the trustees, “The tuition increase that I’m asking for is absolutely essential for the well-being of the university.”

For context, Chief Financial Officer Carla Ho told the trustees that a tuition freeze would mean a budget gap of $54.5  million next year.

By Hallie Greenberg