Pitt is not alone in raising tuition for in-state students this year, or in making tuition announcements before the state completes its budget process.
Penn State: The university’s 2025-26 budget, which was approved last year, includes a 2% increase for in-state students at the main campus. Last week, the Penn State board of trustees approved the 2026-27 operating budget with another 2% tuition increase for main campus in-state students and no increase for in-state students on the Commonwealth campuses.
In addition, Penn State employees will see a 3% salary increase in 2025-26 and in 2026-27. Penn State operates on a two-year budget cycle.
Temple: On July 8, Temple University’s board of trustees approved the university's 2026 operating budget, which included a 3.6% increase in tuition for all students. Temple President John Fry warned in June that the university faces a multi-million dollar structural deficit, which would likely need to be balanced by increased tuition and strategic cuts to the university's staff. This week, Temple said it would lay off 50 staff members, as part of a larger reduction of 190 positions achieved through attrition or cutting vacant roles.
PASSHE: The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) announced on July 17 that in-state tuition at the system’s 14 campuses is set to increase by 3.6% for students this fall, the Tribune-Review reported. It would be the first increase in seven years, but that figure could decrease if state funding increases.
In-state undergraduate tuition will increase by $139 per semester, to $3,997 per semester. PASSHE has requested a 6.5% increase in state funding to maintain flat tuition. If that’s provided, the system said, it would roll back part, or all, of the increase.
In comparison, Pitt is increasing in-state tuition for students in Oakland by 2% for 2025-26 and 1% at the regional campuses. The salary pool for this fiscal year is 2.5 percent, but does not apply to wide swath of staff who are represented by the United Steelworkers.
The PASSHE schools and the state-related schools — Pitt, Penn State and Temple — all receive money from the state. The legislature is now almost a month past the mandated June 30 deadline to pass the state budget.
— Susan Jones
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