Tuition is rising at College of DuPage. Here’s what it will cost.
College of DuPage trustees have approved the third tuition increase in as many years.
Students will pay $8 more per credit hour starting with the fall 2024 semester. That puts the total rate, plus fees, at $152 per credit hour.
Illinois students attending the Glen Ellyn-based school from outside the community college district will see their tuition bill, including fees, increase from $347 to $355 per credit hour.
COD administrators initially proposed a $5-per-credit-hour increase to generate about $2 million in additional revenue to help fund operational costs. COD leaders also recommended an increase of $5 per credit hour to bring the school’s rates more closely in line with tuition at comparable area community colleges.
As of fall 2023, its in-district rate of $144 per credit hour ranked about $13 below the average in-district rate of all 39 community college districts in Illinois, COD officials say.
“We are a top junior college in the state. We need to move towards the average,” said COD Trustee Nick Howard, who chairs the board’s budget committee. “We can't move towards the average all at once, but we can take much larger steps than we've taken in the past.”
Howard called the initial tuition recommendation a “starting point.” Trustees ultimately settled on the $8-per-credit-hour increase.
“There's no time like the present in terms of doing something when we have strength in enrollment,” Howard said. Enrollment is projected to increase 1.5% in fiscal 2025.
COD President Brian Caputo said in a statement the increase is necessary amid rising operating costs. The board last month approved a 3% pay increase for administrators, managerial and classified staff for fiscal 2025, which was estimated to add roughly $1.4 million in salary cost.
“Over the past several years, the College has implemented nominal increases but is escalating those efforts to ensure the institution can continue to provide resources to our students and the community,” Caputo said in the statement. “This increase allows COD to continue its commitment to higher education, while addressing rapid inflation and its projected impact on our budget.”
Chief financial officers at other Illinois community colleges have indicated in a survey that they also will be raising their rates for fiscal 2025, with increases ranging from $2 to $25 per credit hour, COD officials said.
The college is finalizing a budget for the new fiscal year starting July 1. The spending plan is expected to be made public in May. Fall registration begins in April.