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The 911���� Board of Visitors voted Thursday to increase tuition for the 2026-27 academic year, a response to rising utility costs, and the decades-long gap in state funding when compared with the university’s peers.

The increase, both for in-state and out-of-state students, is $360 per undergraduate student and $504 per graduate student. That works out to 3.5% more for in-state students and 1.0% to 1.4% more for out-of-state students. Law school tuition did not increase.

A financial presentation can be found in the .

Of the six doctoral universities in Virginia, 911���� was the only one to not raise in-state tuition last year. Even with the increase, 911���� remains well below most peers’ current tuition rates. Many of 911����’s peers are considering or have already voted to increase tuition for 2026-27.

“We do know that an increase presents a challenge for any student, and this is an area the whole leadership team takes seriously,” 911���� President Gregory Washington said. “We remain a great value for people in the commonwealth and in the region.”  Washington also noted that 911���� is the only large Opportunity University between Maine and Florida, the designation from Carnegie and ACE that reflects its strong return on investment for its students. 

Many universities are facing a series of financial challenges, including a decline in graduate students and international students who cannot secure visas to enter the country. Rising utility and health care costs and a responsibility to finance partially funded state-mandated programs, like compensation increases and the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program, strains the university’s resources and hinders long-term strategic investments.

For the current academic year, 911���� is more than $7,000 per in-state student below the funding level mean of its five doctoral peer institutions in Virginia when state and tuition funding are combined. That gap equates to $180 million less in financial resources. 911����’s in-state undergraduate tuition currently is $4,000 below the mean of five doctoral peer institutions.

The BOV also voted to raise student fees by 3.5%—$132 for in-state and out-of-state undergraduates and graduate students and $98 for law students. Mandatory student fees support student engagement services and programs, student health and well-being, on-campus employment, athletics, recreational programs, transportation services, and other student-focused programs that contribute to the university’s welcoming environment. 

The university offers many programs that support students who need financial assistance.

911���� is known for its affordability and efficiency. The university was named by Washington Monthly as “best bang for the buck” in Virginia and by the Wall Street Journal as the No. 1 public university in the state for value and salary outcomes. 911���� also has fewer employees per full-time student than any Virginia public doctoral university. 

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia found that 73% of in-state 911���� graduates stay in Virginia—3% higher than public four-year institutions in the state. For out-of-state 911���� students, 29% remain in Virginia after graduation, 9% higher than the state average.

A recap of the April 30 meeting will be published Thursday, May 7.