On Saturday, Jan. 30, the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Board of Trustees approved a modest 2% tuition increase for the 2016-17 academic year. In-state tuition will increase by $223 to the rate of $11,418; out-of-state tuition will increase by $521 to the rate of $26,566.
The slight increase will be the first at Maryland’s public honors college in three years. A tuition freeze by the College locked rates into place for students between 2013 through 2015. The state legislature enabled St. Mary’s College to implement an 8.6% in-state tuition reduction in 2014—the largest price cut in the country at that time for a public four-year school. The net effect of these efforts today is a cost saving of $2,600 for the average St. Mary’s College student.
Even with the 2% increase, St. Mary’s College’s past efforts to manage costs, in concert with support from the Maryland legislature, make the upcoming 2016-17 rates comparable to the price of attending the College in 2011.
“We are committed to keeping a St. Mary’s College education both excellent and affordable,” said St. Mary’s College President Tuajuanda C. Jordan. “The modest tuition increase for 2016-17 will help us maintain our high academic quality as Maryland’s public honors college.”
College officials point to national data to show ongoing commitment to provide a top education that is affordable. According to that data, tuition at St. Mary’s College has risen by only 4% since 2009, while tuition at public four-year colleges/universities nationwide has gone up by an average of 33%.