Tuition 2020-2021

Dear students, 

We are writing today to share some news with you about our continued commitment to building a community to support an outstanding student experience. 

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees approved a modest tuition increase. Beginning in the fall quarter of the 2020-2021 academic year, the board approved a 2.4 percent tuition increase. This is our lowest percentage increase in nearly 40 years. 

The decision to increase our tuition takes into account market forces and the need to plan for a sustainable future for the University. We want to ensure DU is an affordable option for our students now and for the next generation.  

There will be no changes to student fees. Room and board will increase by 3.5 percent. We realize that any increase can cause anxiety and, in some cases, hardships for our students and their families. We take those concerns very seriously. For this reason and more, financial aid remains a top priority. More than 80 percent of DU students receive financial aid. We will continue to look for additional ways to increase the amount of financial aid we can offer in order to better manage the cost of a DU education. We will examine this issue closely in the coming calendar year.

We will also work with the deans to establish a tiered model for differential tuition at the graduate level. This approach will help ensure that our academic programs are tied more directly to the variations in market performance among programs. This approach will also offer a source of funding for students to receive grants and scholarships. As the details for these programs are finalized, we will provide opportunities for department leadership to meet with students to share specifics and address student questions and concerns. Additionally, we will update the website to make it easier for our students and their families to find the information they need about the affordability of a DU education.

We are dedicated to making the DU experience more transformative and affordable for our students. Here’s to another great year at the University of Denver! 

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner, Chancellor
Corinne Lengsfeld, Interim Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor