(Urbandale, Iowa/via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – State universities are planning to increase tuition for undergraduate and graduate students once again this fall, pending approval from the Iowa Board of Regents, according to board documents released Tuesday. If approved by the board at its June meeting, University of Iowa and Iowa State University resident undergraduate students will see their tuition increase by 3%, with a proposed 2.7% increase for in-state, undergraduate students attending the University of Northern Iowa. The regents will consider the proposals at their April 23-24 meeting on the ISU campus.

UNI is the only state university to propose a larger tuition increase rate than last year. Both the UI and ISU had 3% increases in the 2024-2025 school year while UNI tuition increased by 2%. Out-of-state undergraduate students will also see their tuition increase, according to the proposed rates document. The proposed rate increase of 0.9% from the UI is the only one coming in lower than resident increases. ISU requested a 4.5% increase for nonresident students and UNI requested 3%.

Each of the state universities has proposed a 3% tuition increase for resident graduate students. ISU proposed the same increase for nonresident graduate students, while UNI requested 1.4% and the UI requested 1.1%. Certain undergraduate and graduate programs will request their own tuition rate increases or freezes for the upcoming year. One proposal from UNI would have the university offer applicants in neighboring states a slightly lower rate than what will be standard for out-of-state students.

State universities will bring their requests for tuition increases to the Iowa Board of Regents at its April meeting. (Logo via Iowa Board of Regents)

Multiple programs in the UI Carver College of Medicine have proposed keeping tuition flat for the 2025-2026 academic year for out-of-state or all students, including master’s programs in athletic training and clinical nutrition and the doctor of physical therapy degree. The MD program in the college of medicine, which the document stated has been in a tuition freeze for the past five years, is requesting a 3% increase across the board and the physician’s assistant program is asking for a 4% increase for residents and 3% for non-resident students.

The UI radiation sciences program is asking for a $703 increase for all students in order to complete its three-year tuition plan to reach a balanced budget, according to the document. Students in ISU’s veterinary medicine program could see tuition increases to the tune of 3.5% for residents and 3% for nonresidents, according to the program’s request. In order to align the tuition of sophomores with that of juniors and seniors in the ISU Ivy College of Business, the university is asking for a $1,412 increase for residents and $2,644 for out-of-state students to complete the third year of increases.

Each of the universities will also propose increases to mandatory fees, totaling 3% for the UI, 2.7% for UNI and 1.7% for ISU. These increases would bring the total cost of attendance, including room and board and other expenses, to $29,958 at the UI, $25,950.90 at ISU and $24,017 at UNI.

When compared to their peer universities, each of Iowa’s public colleges are at or below average for both resident and nonresident tuition and fee costs, according to the document. UI tuition and fees for out-of-state-students are the lowest of its peer group, coming in at $33,371 compared to the average $42,157.