The University of Illinois Board of Trustees has approved a 2% tuition hike for resident undergraduate students starting with the fall 2026 semester.
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.
"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 said. “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.”
The system froze resident undergraduate tuition rates in seven of the previous 11 years.
The campuses in Springfield, Urbana-Champaign and Chicago also raised tuition for nonresident undergraduates, along with graduate professional and online programs.
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. Fees increased 6.8% at Springfield, 2.0% at Urbana-Champaign and 1.9% at Chicago.
Trustees unanimously reelected Trustee Jesse Ruiz to serve as board chairman. Ruiz has been a board member since 2023 and first was elected chair in January 2025.
The board also recognized Killeen following his announcement last week that he will step down as president after his current contract expires on June 30, 2027.
