The Board of Trustees of Barnard has just approved a tuition rate increase for next year. Tuition, fees, room and board for incoming first-years will be of $60,700;  higher than 2013-14 by 2.9%.

The announcement e-mail, sent today to Barnard students, explains the reasoning for this raise: “In setting tuition, the College looks to a variety of outside indicators including the national consumer price index (NCPI), the Higher Education Price Index, and the median income of families with heads of household between 45 and 54 (a cohort which best represents families with college-age children). Since many families also use home equity as a financing source for term bill payments, we are tracking the national home price index, as well.”

Damn, $15,000 for a studio single.

Dear Students,

We are writing to let you know that the Barnard Board of Trustees has approved a modest increase in the College’s tuition and fees for 2014-15.  We know that any increase is difficult for many of our families during these economic times, so we wanted to take a moment to explain in detail the breakdown of the final numbers.

The overall increase is 2.9%, the same increase as 2013-14, and one that represents a slight slowing of the rate relative to 2012-13 (3.1%) and 2011-12 (3.9%).  The total cost for tuition, fees, room and board for an incoming first-year student will be $60,700 for the upcoming academic year.  Of that total, the components include: $44,300 for tuition, $8,700 for a multiple room, $5,960 for unlimited meal plan, and $1,740 for the comprehensive fee.

The price for multiple rooms will go up by 3.0% to $8,700 per year. Rates for single rooms are increasing to $10,100 and rates for the few studio apartments on campus will increase to $15,000 per year. The remaining fees are increasing by modest amounts and reflect changes in underlying costs.

In setting tuition, the College looks to a variety of outside indicators including the national consumer price index (NCPI), the Higher Education Price Index, and the median income of families with heads of household between 45 and 54 (a cohort which best represents families with college-age children). Since many families also use home equity as a financing source for term bill payments, we are tracking the national home price index, as well. 

We hope that this gives you a clearer sense of the College’s tuition plans for the coming year. The costs of providing the best possible education for our students continue to rise, but we are trying our best to keep the increase as low as possible while maintaining our commitment to excellence.

Sincerely,

Gregory Brown, Chief Operating Officer
Avis Hinkson, Dean of the College