Undergraduate tuition at Washington University in St. Louis will cost $34,500 for the 2007-08 academic year — a $1,700 (5.2 percent) increase over the 2006-07 current academic year tuition of $32,800. The required student activity fee will total $345, and the student health fee will be $679. The announcement was made by Barbara A. Feiner, vice chancellor for finance.
Room-and-board charges for 2007-08 will be $11,632, an increase of $456 (4.1 percent) over the current year’s charges of $11,176 for the full meal plan and newer student housing.
In a letter to parents and students, Edward S. Macias, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor, dean of Arts & Sciences and the Barbara and David Thomas Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences, said the following about the 2007-08 tuition, room, board and other fees:
“Colleges and universities face exceptional cost pressures that mirror those costs familiar to all — energy and health care. But we also face expense increases that in many ways are unique to academic institutions such as escalating costs for library periodicals, books, computing and constant upgrading and replacement of laboratory and other instructional technology. Recently added expenses include significant expansion in our career services to meet expectations of students and their families, as well as the challenges of retaining and attracting the very finest faculty. Both of these areas reflect the need of the University to keep pace with other successful highly competitive colleges and universities.
“Families of our undergraduates do not pay the full cost of a Washington University education. That is where the support from gifts and endowment plays an important role — filling the gap between our real expenses and those covered by tuition itself. Washington University is blessed with generous alumni and friends who provide significant annual support and gifts, but their generosity cannot fully cover annual increases in operating expense. Growth in endowment income and gifts and grants cannot rise rapidly enough to offset additional charges that must be supported through tuition.
“As mentioned earlier, career services have become an essential part of the undergraduate experience, beginning with internships and other experiences that students can use in pursuing their after-college plans. While many students pursue graduate school, many are now realizing that a combination of graduate education and career strategies developed while in college can contribute significantly to success in life. Not only have we created and expanded the University Career Center that is available to all students, we also are planning to house this growing area in the new University Center. We want undergraduates to consider their future plans well ahead of the senior year, and we believe a better facility and expanded services will help in making that possible.
“Over the past two decades, Washington University has grown in stature to become one of the most desirable institutions of higher education in the world. This past fall we received the greatest number of freshman applications in our history, and indicators show that this trend will continue as the ratio of applications to openings in our freshman class is one of the very highest in the nation.
“Also outstanding are the quality indicators among our talented applicants as well as our output of exceptional graduates — including two Rhodes Scholars, a Truman Scholar and a Marshall Scholar in 2006. Continuing to attract high-performing students who make contributions through community service and volunteerism are further indication of the University’s strengths. Tuition income supports these efforts in helping students develop leadership skills and personal qualities that will serve them throughout the rest of their lives.
“About 60 percent of Washington University undergraduates receive support in the form of grants, scholarships and other awards through a strong financial aid program. We recognize that it is a significant financial challenge for some families to send their children to college, and those who qualify for need-based financial assistance receive consideration for our increases, as well as for any changes in family financial circumstances at the time application is made for renewal of financial aid.”
Macias noted that the University offers payment plans to help lessen family financial burdens, including the Partners in Education with Parents (PEP) plan that allows University charges for all undergraduate years to be paid in monthly installments over as many as 10 years at competitive fixed interest rates. The advantage of this plan is that a family can decrease the effect of future tuition and room-and-board increases, depending on the level of participation the family chooses. There is also a monthly payment plan that allows families to spread all or most of a single academic year’s expenses over 10 equal monthly payments without any interest charges.
Below are the 2007-08 full-time tuition and fee schedules for the Washington University graduate and professional programs, as well as tuition for evening and summer schools enrolling part-time students.
Graduate and professional tuition
Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, and graduate programs in the School of Engineering & Applied Science: The 2007-08 tuition charge for graduate students in these programs will be $34,500, an increase of $1,700 (5.2 percent) over the current charge of $32,800.
Graduate School of Art: The 2007-08 tuition charge for the Master of Fine Arts program will be $27,950, an increase of $1,319 (5.0 percent) over the current charge of $26,631.
George Warren Brown School of Social Work: The 2007-08 tuition for the Master of Social Work program will be $27,390, an increase of $1,200 (4.6 percent) over the current charge of $26,190.
School of Law: The 2007-08 tuition for the Juris Doctor program will be $37,460, an increase of $1,790 (5.0 percent) over the current charge of $35,670 and the LLM program at $37,600, an increase of $1,800 (5.0 percent) over the current charge of $35,800.
John M. Olin School of Business graduate program: The 2007-08 tuition for the Master of Business Administration program will be $37,900, an increase of $1,950 (5.4 percent) over the current charge of $35,950.
School of Medicine: Tuition for 2007-08 for the M.D. degree will be set in March.
Evening, Summer School tuition
Undergraduate evening students: For undergraduate evening students enrolling in University College in Arts & Sciences or continuing education classes in the School of Architecture in 2007-08, tuition will be $465 per credit hour, compared with the 2006-07 cost of $430 per credit hour.
Graduate students in University College: Depending upon the graduate program in University College in Arts & Sciences, tuition ranges from $465 to $665 per credit hour for 2007-08 compared with the current range of $430-$625.
Summer School in Arts & Sciences: Tuition in Summer School classes in Arts & Sciences will be $725 per undergraduate credit hour and $825 per graduate credit hour for summer 2007, compared with the 2006 Summer School rates of $665 and $765 per credit hour, respectively.