Tuition is going up for incoming freshmen at University of Illinois System universities, as well as for nonresident undergraduate students.
Also increasing are tuition rates for graduate, professional, and online programs.
Room and board rates are also going up. So are student fees.
After freezing resident undergraduate tuition rates in seven of the previous 11 years, the U of I Board of Trustees on Jan. 15 approved a 2% tuition increase for Illinois resident undergraduate students admitted to the fall 2026 academic year, according to a news release from the U of I System.
The board’s action “balances growing inflationary pressures with maintaining access and affordability for Illinois residents,” the release read.
Universities in the system are located at Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield.
Increases
At Urbana-Champaign, nonresident and international undergraduate tuition will increase between 7% and 14.5%. At Chicago, most nonresident and international students will see increases of 2% to 3.3%. At Springfield, nonresident tuition will rise 2%.
A majority of graduate programs’ tuition at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago will increase 3% or less, and Springfield tuition for graduate programs will rise by up to 5%. Tuition levels for professional and online programs at the three universities will increase 4% or less, with many remaining unchanged.
Trustees also approved a 5% increase in room and board rates at Urbana-Champaign and Chicago and 3.5% at Springfield.
At Urbana-Champaign, the change applies to students who are first-time residents. Returning residents who have maintained continuous occupancy in the residence halls pay the same rate as their first year, for a period of up to four years.
Student fees at all three universities increased “to reflect increasing operating costs,” the release read. Fees increased 2.0% at Urbana-Champaign, 1.9% at Chicago and 6.8% at Springfield.
Why this is happening
“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,” U of I System President Tim Killeen stated. “Parents and students also can continue to count on our commitment to robust financial aid and our state’s promise to lock in tuition costs for undergraduates.”
Under state law, tuition rates for new undergraduate students are held flat for four years.
More than 68% of all resident undergraduate students enrolled across the U of I System receive some form of financial aid and over 51% pay less than $3,000 per semester for tuition and mandatory fees, according to the release.
System president to step down
Killeen plans to step down at the end of his current contract on June 30, 2027, according to an announcement earlier this month. He informed the board of his decision, marking the start of a transition to new leadership.
Killeen signed a contract extension last year. He has been the system’s president since 2015.
Trustees also unanimously reelected Trustee Jesse Ruiz to serve as board chairman, according to the Jan. 15 news release. Appointed to the board by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2023, Ruiz first was elected chair in January 2025.
Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at tackerman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: University of Illinois System announces tuition increases
Reporting by Tom Ackerman, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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