PROVIDENCE – For a second straight year, Brown University students will see a significant jump in price in their tuition bills.
At the same time, staff and faculty working at the Ivy League institution, however, will see their salaries increase to levels they have not seen in more than a decade.
The Corporation of Brown University on Feb. 10 signed off on a 4.5% tuition increase for next fiscal year for undergraduate, and most master’s and doctoral programs. Also, students attending the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown will see a 2.75% increase in tuition next year.
While the tuition increases for next year are not as steep, they are still above normal – typically they have been around 2.9% increases over the past decade. Students attending this academic year
had their tuition bill jump 4.75%, the highest such tuition increase at Brown since 2011.
For next year, Brown’s tuition will be $68,612, up from $65,656 last academic year. Graduate students taking most doctoral and on-campus master’s degree programs will pay $8,576 per course next year, a 4.5% jump from the previous year. Tuition for the medical school next year will be $71,192, higher than the current $69,286, Brown said.
Once again, Brown cites ongoing inflation issues for increasing tuition costs on students. The university said there has been a 4% overall climb in expenses at colleges and universities across the U.S. over the last fiscal year. The increased inflation thus translated into higher operating costs at such colleges, including Brown, the university said.
Brown Provost Francis J. Doyle III said in a statement that the increases in tuition and fees will be coupled with a “significant increase” in the university’s financial aid budget. That budget, he says, is projected to increase by approximately $13 to $15 million, in the range of 6% to 7% from the previous year.
“This year’s tuition rate and financial aid budget strike an important balance between ensuring sufficient revenue to support our strategic priorities and providing funding to enroll exceptional students from across the globe, regardless of their financial need,” Doyle said.
Employee salaries next year will increase by 4.5%, the highest salary jump the university has seen since the 2009 fiscal year, Brown says. The corporation considered multiple factors, including recruitment and retention trends, regional cost of living and inflation, to pay its employees higher salaries next year, the university said.
Other fee increases approved for next academic year at Brown are:
- Standard room rate: $9,940 (up from $9,650)
- Standard board: $7,504 (up from $6,948)
- Undergraduate student resources fee: $1,044 (up from $1,004)
- Health services fee: $1,166 (up from $1,090)
- Student activities fee: $400 (up from $300)
- Student recreation fee: $90 (up from $80)
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter at @James_Bessette. 
