About a decade ago, public universities around the country began freezing tuition in response to student and parent complaints about the high costs of a college education. In the years since, schools have used said freezes as opportunities to remain financially competitive. Given predicted enrollment declines, it’s no shock that many schools are more closely monitoring their tuition prices.
Besides institutional self-interest, the motivation behind tuition freezes is to improve college affordability.This trend began in 2013, when Purdue University put a halt to yearly tuition increases by locking in its 2012 price. Since then, a number of other institutions have joined in. Besides long-term institutional self-interest, the motivation behind tuition freezes is to improve college affordability and accessibility. Considering current enrollment and financial hardships (worsened by the pandemic and rising inflation), tuition freezes are an appealing option for both students and colleges alike. In fact, several schools, including those in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) system, as well as the University of Arizona, have already announced tuition freezes for the coming 2025-26 academic year.
Other approaches to keeping tuition costs in check are being utilized, as well. Several schools have implemented free-tuition programs, and others have instituted tuition caps instead of outright freezes. The Economics of Education Review notes the difference between tuition freezes and caps:
A tuition freeze or cap occurs when a state government sets limits on the amount that public colleges are allowed to raise listed tuition (i.e. “sticker price”) from year to year. Typically, a “freeze” occurs when colleges are banned from raising nominal tuition at all.
According to our findings, tuition freezes are most common among public four-year institutions, but they are not uncommon among public two-year schools or private schools. One group of universities that is not known for participating in tuition freezes, however, is the Ivy League schools. This elite group of eight private institutions has yet to hop on this trend.
The Martin Center’s findings, expressed below, are not an exhaustive list but an attempt to note as many institutions as possible that either currently maintain, or have recently maintained, frozen tuition.
Securing the longest-running tuition freeze in the nation, Purdue University has held its tuition at the 2012 rate for 12 years. After 37 consecutive years of tuition increases, Purdue made the decision to lock in that rate and has since guaranteed a tuition price of $9,992 through the 2025-26 school year. The university’s motivation for continuing the freeze is to “set a national standard” for affordability, and it is having great success. Since 2012, annual student borrowing for Purdue enrollees has fallen 32 percent, and 60 percent of students graduate debt-free. That’s nearly double the national average of 39 percent.
While the UNC System has boasted a flat tuition rate for some time, a recent update may open up the possibility of tuition increases.Other schools with impressive recent freezes include Florida State University with 11 years, the University of Wisconsin with 10 years (though that freeze is no longer in place), and Lander University and North Carolina’s very own UNC System at nine years.
While the UNC System has boasted a flat tuition rate for some time, a recent update in system policy may open up the possibility of tuition increases in the coming years. Upon performing academic program reviews every seven years, as institutions now must do, schools will be eligible to propose undergraduate tuition increases for the 2026-27 academic year. However, given the system’s Fixed Tuition Program, already-enrolled students would still see no rise in tuition during their four-year degree program; once a student enters, his or her freshman-year tuition will not go up for eight consecutive semesters.
As mentioned, tuition caps and freezes are meant to benefit students by reducing the cost of obtaining a degree. However, some researchers have found that such policies may not be as successful in this aim as once hoped. Lois Miller and Minseon Park argue in the Economics of Education Review that not all students benefit from tuition caps, given attendant cuts in financial aid:
At four-year colleges, [tuition-freeze] regulations lower sticker price by 6.3 percentage points while simultaneously reducing aid by nearly twice as much (11.3 percentage points). At two-year colleges, while regulations lower tuition by 9.3 percentage points, the effect disappears within three years of the end of the regulation.
They also note that
Changes in net tuition vary widely; focusing on four-year colleges, while some students receive discounts up to 5.9 percentage points, others pay 3.8 percentage points more than they would have without these regulations. Students who receive financial aid, enter college right after the regulation is lifted, or attend colleges that are more dependent on tuition benefit less.
Despite these potential drawbacks, tuition freezes can greatly benefit universities and serve students. Purdue remains the top example for how to ensure the most success when implementing a tuition freeze. It’s not quite as simple as merely holding tuition at a certain price. The Martin Center has previously reported on Purdue’s approach, pointing out three key points for policymakers and institutions to consider when following the Indiana school’s example:
1. Revenues and expenses both play a role: Purdue focused on increasing revenues (through out-of-state tuition and fundraising) and decreasing expenses (cutting merit raises, trimming unnecessary expenses, and letting go of excess staff and underperforming programs).
Despite potential drawbacks, tuition freezes can greatly benefit universities and serve students.2. Additional appropriations aren’t required: While some freezes are supplemented by state funding, Purdue’s occurred without additional funds due to lean spending.
3. Cutting the budget doesn’t mean cutting quality: Purdue has maintained its academic quality and continues to perform well in university rankings.
As is common with university policy, tuition freezes are a complex issue, and while there may be conflicting views on whether or not they are perfect, they are undoubtedly beneficial. Instituting a freeze for a year here and there may not be truly effective. But freezing tuition for several years, while carefully considering the school’s budget and not putting further hardships on state funding (i.e., taxpayers), can result in more success. Although freezes are not a cure-all for financial woes, we do hope to see freezes continue for those schools that have them, and that many more institutions will see the benefits and follow suit.
Ashlynn Warta is the state reporter for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal.