
PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Undergraduate students within the Universities of Wisconsin system will pay more for tuition next year, under a new proposal announced Tuesday.
UW President Jay Rothman wants to increase tuition for resident undergraduates by up to 5% for the 2025-26 academic year.
The proposal would raise tuition by 4% at all universities, with an optional 1% additional, for a maximum of 5%.
Officials say all universities except UW-Green Bay plan to adopt the additional 1% if the proposal is approved by the Board of Regents. They will consider the plan Thursday.
“Preserving quality while maintaining our ability to be a leader on tuition affordability in the Midwest is a top priority,” Rothman said. “After a decade of a tuition freeze and lagging state aid, we believe we have struck a balance for students and families with this proposal and the recent state investments in the UWs as part of the 2025-27 biennial budget.”
UW-River Falls is seeking an additional increase, which would bring its resident undergraduate increase to 5.8%.
The proposed resident undergraduate tuition and segregated fees for each university in 2025-26 are as follows:
- UW-Eau Claire: $10,067
- UW-Green Bay: $8,985
- UW-La Crosse: $10,360
- UW-Madison: $12,166
- UW-Milwaukee: $10,916
- UW-Oshkosh: $8,993
- UW-Parkside: $8,658
- UW-Platteville: $8,812
- UW-River Falls: $9,249
- UW-Stevens Point: $9,477
- UW-Stout: $9,859
- UW-Superior: $9,272
- UW-Whitewater: $8,819
This proposal comes just days after Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin lawmakers passed the next two-year state budget, which will provide the Universities of Wisconsin with a funding increase of about $256 million. It’s the biggest budget increase for the UW system in 20 years.
Officials say while that money will help, state funding only represents about one-fifth of the system’s total revenue.
Compared to UW comprehensive peers, resident undergraduate tuition increased just 7.7% during the 10- year period from 2015 to 2025—well below neighboring states, which ranged from increases of 21.7% to 28.8% during that same period.
Overall, the total proposed cost of attendance for resident undergraduates will increase an average of 3.8% when segregated fees and room and board costs are considered. The Board of Regents approved segregated fees in April.
Under the proposal, universities would increase nonresident undergraduate tuition by either the same percentage or same dollar amount as resident undergraduate tuition.
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