Penn State tuition is going up for State College students

By a 26-4 vote, Pennsylvania State University’s board of trustees approved a two-year tuition freeze for some students and an increase for others.

At the university’s Commonwealth campuses, tuition will remain the same as it was last year for in-state students and rise 1% for out-of-state students in 2023-24 and again the following year. In-state students at Penn State’s main campus in State College will pay a 2% increase, while out-of-state students will pay 4%.

The increases, which were endorsed by the university’s finance, business and capital planning committee on Thursday, were approved with little discussion Friday afternoon.

Under the tuition plan , in-state freshmen and sophomores at the main campus would pay an annual tuition tab of $19,672 for the coming year. Rates are higher for juniors and seniors and vary by program.

Tuition for in-state students at the Commonwealth campuses will continue to range from $13,966 to $15,904.

In-state undergraduates make up about 68% of Penn State’s enrollment.

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The board Friday also approved President Neeli Bendapudi’s vision and goals for the academic year ahead. The goals cover six broad areas focused on improving the academic success of students, growing interdisciplinary research, increasing the impact of Penn State’s status as a land grant institution, fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, improving internal operations and strengthening the health-care enterprise.

More than 30 “focus” areas are listed to be worked on, including making paid internships possible for all students and aligning the curriculum with employer needs and experiences.

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The university, which faced criticism last academic year for abandoning plans to open a $3.5 million Center for Racial Justice, will aim to increase recruiting of underrepresented students, faculty and staff and close gaps in graduation rates among students from various backgrounds and identities.

The university also aims to achieve a balanced budget by 2025, officials said Friday. Penn State reported Thursday that its projected deficit for the 2022-23 year, which ended July 1, was reduced from $140 million to $63 million in its $2.6 billion budget. A hiring freeze, higher investment income, and health-care savings were among the items that contributed to the reduction.

The university anticipates the deficit will drop to $44.5 million in 2023-24 and $34.1 million the following year, with a balanced budget by 2025-26.

Bendapudi’s goals also specify a desire to improve Penn State’s national rankings, by, for example, increasing research expenditures. In particular, the president listed a desire to “increase the College of Medicine’s national education rankings and research prominence.”