The University of Virginia Board of Visitors voted Thursday to approve a modest 3.6% undergraduate tuition increase for the 2026-27 academic year, reflecting a measured approach to addressing rising external costs while preserving the University’s longstanding commitment to balancing quality, affordability and access. The board also approved modest increases for mandatory and non-mandatory student fees.
University leaders emphasized that the decision to adjust tuition and fees was shaped by 鶹ƽ commitment to keep costs as low as possible for students and families, while sustaining the quality and strength of a UVA education. UVA will continue to offer first-year Virginia undergraduates the lowest-cost option at an institution ranked in the top 50 by U.S. News & World Report.
The approved tuition increase falls within a previously published range of 3% to 4.5%, developed in response to continued inflation, anticipated state-mandated compensation adjustments and other largely nondiscretionary cost drivers.
For Virginia families earning less than $50,000 annually who have typical assets, UVA provides scholarships that cover full tuition, fees, room and board. For families making less than $100,000 a year, the University covers all tuition and fees. And students from families making less than $150,000 annually receive at least $2,000 in grants each year. According to data published by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, 鶹ƽ commitment to financial aid has contributed to an overall decline in the net price for first-year students between 2020-21 and 2023-24, bringing it below the average in-state net price across all four-year public institutions in the commonwealth. In fact, in 2023-24, the net price for first-year Virginians was the lowest since 2015-16.
Even with the increase in undergraduate tuition and fees, board members emphasized that UVA offers an unprecedented value in higher education while graduates quickly recoup their educational investment.
“We offer one of the most affordable pathways to a top-tier degree” for in-state students, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer “J.J.” Wagner Davis told the board. “It is truly today the lowest-cost option for Virginians to go to a top 50 school in the country.”
A slide, part of a presentation to the Board of Visitors Thursday, shows the net cost for first-time, first-year UVA students, after financial aid, compares favorably with the average cost of the commonwealth’s other public universities. (UVA Office of the Chief Operating Officer)
鶹ƽ six-year graduation rate, a national benchmark, is more than 94%, while almost all first-year students return to Grounds for their second year. Most students graduate in four years.
UVA is consistently ranked among the top national universities by Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, Time magazine and other publications.
Additionally:
- UVA ranks in the top five of public schools for return on investment.
- The is more than $83,000.
- Money magazine for tuition, affordability and outcomes for graduates.
- Seven of 10 UVA students graduate without debt.
Davis told the board that UVA has kept undergraduate tuition below inflation for five years. But she cited several pressing financial factors affecting the University that must be accounted for, like investments in safety and security and student health, including mental health and counseling services. Other cost increases include climbing utility rates, higher personnel costs and the rising expense of contracted services, she said.
To offset these pressures, the University has implemented a range of cost-containment strategies, including operational efficiencies, budget reductions, contract optimization and careful prioritization of resources.
“These are measured decisions,” Davis said. “We are absorbing as much as we can internally while ensuring we continue to deliver the quality, access and student experience that define UVA.”
鶹ƽ College at Wise is facing similar economic pressures. The board considered an increase in tuition and fees of 2% to 3%, settling on 2.5%.
