Ohio State trustees approve tuition and fee increase for upcoming school year

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – For the seventh year in a row, Ohio State University is raising tuition.

The Ohio State Board of Trustees unanimously voted Friday afternoon to raise tuition and fees for the upcoming academic year, about five weeks away from the first day of classes. Tuition and fees for undergraduate students will be raised by the maximum amount allowable under state law.

Inside WOSU headquarters on Friday afternoon, Mike Papadakis, chief financial officer of the university, told trustees the increases were, in part, due to rising costs from inflation -- and lower contributions from the state.

"Our total (state share of instruction) has certainly not kept pace with inflation over the last 20 years," Papadakis said.

The financial committee based proposed increases off of market research, comparing tuition and fees across Big Ten and public Ohio universities, Papadakis said.

Undergraduate cost of attendance

Undergraduate tuition and general fees will increase by 3% for incoming freshmen, not including housing costs, program-specific fees and non-resident surcharges. Continuing in-state students will see no cost increases due to the Tuition Guarantee, while out-of-state students face an added $1,269.

Raising tuition and general fees by 3% will cost Ohio residents $12,859.55 per year. Out-of-state students will pay $38,365 in tuition and fees, while international students will pay $41,293.

The bulk of the 3% raise comes from an increased instruction fee, while the remaining 0.4% of the increase is dedicated to student wellness and mental health services, said Kris Devine, deputy chief financial officer.

Ohio State raised tuition and fees for in-state freshmen by 4.6% last May, a decision Gov. Mike DeWine called "not wise." The increase cost $549 more per year for in-state students and $1,703 more for out-of-state students.

Before Ohio lawmakers finalized the two-year state budget, public universities were allowed to raise tuition from cohort to cohort by up to the rate of inflation in the previous year and a half, unless otherwise specified. The new budget places a 3% cap on tuition and fee increases through fiscal year 2025.

At the same time trustees approved the tuition raises, hundreds of incoming first-year students and their families were across the street for orientation. Several families NBC4 spoke with didn’t know the board was meeting on Friday – or that a tuition increase was even a possibility.

"My kids are getting a great education, but for being a state university, the cost of tuition is a little unsettling," said Colleen Scavuzzo, a mother of three Ohio State students, including an incoming freshman.

Ohio State’s tuition and fees still fall far below those of other Big Ten universities, ranking in the middle of the pack for in-state tuition.

Housing and dining costs will also increase 3%. Traditionally, the costs haven’t been included under the Tuition Guarantee Program – which locks in a student’s tuition for four years – but Ohio State has included it since fiscal year 2022.

The resulting effect on a student’s cost of attendance varies, depending on meal plan and housing tier. Housing increases range from $222 to $284, while meal plans will be between $130 and $158 pricier.

Devine said increases in housing and dining are due to multiple factors, including increases in operations, repair and maintenance costs. Food cost increases are "very significant" due to inflation, and wages have increased to "get students to work in the dining halls," she said.

Last year, Ohio State raised housing and dining costs by 4.6% – just under the board-set maximum rate of 5%.

The most common combination of housing and dining, according to Ohio State, will cost $416 more for first-year students – the second-most expensive among Ohio’s public universities. Rate I housing, the most expensive rate, and a 10-meal weekly dining plan will cost $14,382.

Using the most common room and board combination, one year at Ohio State’s main campus will cost:

• $27,241 for in-state freshmen
• $52,747 for out-of-state freshmen
• $55,675 for international freshmen

The above totals don't include financial aid or fees for specific programs. Tuition and fees remain the same from last year for students enrolled only online.

Graduate student rates increase even more

Graduate student tuition is not protected under the state-mandated Tuition Guarantee program, nor is it subject to the state budget’s temporary 3% raise limit. 

Both online and in-person programs will cost 3.8% more for graduate and professional students. The non-resident surcharge will increase 4.2%.

Not including program-specific fees,, in-state graduate students will pay $500 more this academic year than last year, for a total of $13,497. Out-of-state and international graduate students will pay $41,227 a year, a $1,629 increase from last year.

First day of classes are Aug. 22.

See complete breakdowns of tuition and fee increases below.

Cierra Johnson contributed to this report.