The University of Illinois System announced on Jan. 15 that the Board of Trusttees approved a tuition and student fee increase for the academic year 2026-2027. Students at all University of Illinois System universities will face an increase in tuition and student fees, though the rate of increase will vary by university, degree program, year of entry to program, credit hours, and state residency status.
Student Fees & Assessments Increases
According to the U of I press release, student fees will increase by 6.8% at UIS, while fees at UIUC and UIC will increase by 2.0% and 1.9% respectively.
At UIS, the Fees and Assessment categories that will not increase are the Health Fee, Student to Student Grant Fee, Green Fee, and Campus and Library Technology Assessment.
The Fee and Assessment categories that will have moderate increases are the Service Fee, the General Fee, and the Student Union Fee. The Service Fee will increase 3.0%, the General Fee will increase 3.1%, and the Student Union fee will increase 4.0%.
The category that will have the largest increase is the Academic Facility Maintenance Fund Assessment, which will increase 20.5% from $22 per credit hour to $26.50 per credit hour.
The 6.8% increase in student fees announced by the University of Illinois System press release will apply to full–time undergraduate students enrolled in 15 credit hours. Fees differ for part–time undergraduate students according to the Fall 2025 Tuition section of the UIS Registrar webpage.
For Fall 2025, full–time undergraduate students paid $2090.50 in mandatory fees and part–time undergraduate students paid $1838.75 in mandatory fees. The breakdown of mandatory student fees for full–time undergraduate and part–time undergraduate students is not listed on the Fall 2025 Tuition page.
Additionally, increases in mandatory fees will differ for graduate students. For Fall 2025, the graduate rate per credit hour for the General, Service, and Health fees, the graduate Student Union Fee, and Assessments is listed as $145.28 per hour up to 8 hours; $118.84 per additional hour. For Fall 2026, the graduate rate per credit hour for the General, Service, and Health fees will be $92, increasing 3.6%. The graduate Student Union Fee will be $27.50 per hour up to 8 hours, increasing 2.0%.
The Student Insurance Fee for UIS has not been determined yet for the Academic Year 2026–2027. Though, for the Academic Year 2025–2026, UIS had the highest rate for all University of Illinois System universities at $1,124. The Student Insurance Fee at Urbana–Champaign was $846 for undergraduate students, $1088 for graduate students, and $697 at Chicago.
Undergraduate Tuition Increases
The proposed increase for undergraduate tuition is stated as 2.0% for both resident and non–resident students. The tuition increase for undergraduate Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Laboratory Science programs will be greater for resident students than non–resident students, 7.4% and 4.8%, respectively.
In the last 12 years, general undergraduate guaranteed tuition has increased four times for resident students and five times for non–resident students. Guaranteed tuition ensures students pay the same tuition rate for four years. First-time, degree seeking enrollment has varied as tuition rates have increased. For the Academic Year 2025–2026, the undergraduate guaranteed tuition rate increased 2.0% for residents and 3.0% for non–residents. First-time, degree seeking increased 20%.
“UIS recognizes that families make enrollment decisions based on many factors, and we encourage students and parents to speak directly with our admissions and financial aid teams to understand their individual options,” said Blake Wood, UIS Director of Media Strategy, when asked how increases in tuition rates might affect the number of students enrolling.
Wood highlighted the Prairie Promise program and stated that the program “guarantees full coverage of tuition and fees for qualified first time, first–year undergraduate students. Starting this fall, this program will also include eligible transfer students.”
Graduate Tuition Increases
The University of Illinois System press release stated that graduate programs’ tuition at Urbana–Champaign and Chicago will increase 3.0% or less, while students in graduate programs at UIS will face an increase in tuition rates of up to 5.0%.
Since the Academic Year 2016–2017, general graduate tuition has increased twice. After a 1.0% increase for both resident and non–resident students in 2020, first time, graduate degree seeking enrollment increased 104% for Fall 2023. First-time, graduate degree seeking enrollment numbers remained consistent until tuition rates increased again in 2025, when enrolled dropped by 38%.
“Each university in the System evaluates its own needs when adjusting tuition rates. Even with this adjustment, UIS graduate programs remain affordable compared to similar programs within Illinois and the region,” Wood said, when asked what factors play a role in UIS graduate students facing a higher tuition increase than any other U of I system school.
Online Tuition Increases
The University of Illinois Springfield offers comparable tuition rates for undergraduate and graduate students in a degree seeking program. For Fall 2025, the general guaranteed undergraduate tuition rate was $378.50 per credit hour, and the general non–guaranteed graduate tuition rate was $376.75 per credit hour.
For the Academic Year 2026–2027, undergraduate E-tuition will increase 2.0%. It has not been specified at this time if there will be an E-tuition rate increase for graduate programs. Since the Academic Year 2015–2016, E-tuition rates have increased similarly except for the Academic Year 2022–2023.
Differential tuition rates for most online graduate programs increased for the Fall 2025 semester. The programs that had a tuition rate increase rose by 3.0%. For the Academic Year 2026–2027, tuition differentials for online programs have not been detailed yet.
The online academic support fee will remain $45.00 per credit hour, unchanged since an increase from $25.00 to $45.00 per credit hour in 2017.
Incoming undergraduate students, undergraduate students that require beyond four years to complete their degree, and graduate students will experience tuition increases for the upcoming academic year.
“Tuition is set for each university based on a number of factors, including instructional costs, state appropriations, and the rate of inflation. These investments ensure that students continue to receive high–quality academic programs, safe and well–maintained facilities and essential campus resources,” said Wood.
Calculating Tuition for Fall 2026
Students will be able to calculate an estimate of what they can expect to pay in tuition and fees for Fall 2026 through the University of Illinois Springfield Tuition Calculator. However, the Tuition Calculator does not have Fall 2026 semester as an option as of yet.
