The yearly cost for tuition increased for all full-time undergraduate students by about 3% for the 2026-27 academic year, according to recent cost estimate updates on Point Park’s website.
The incoming increase is a bit less than years prior, and is consistent with the average 3% to 4% increase that annual tuition usually rises each academic year. Last year, tuition went up by around 3.8%.
The incoming jump in tuition pricing is thanks to “rising costs and ongoing investments in the student experience,” according to Marlin Collingwood, vice president of enrollment management and marketing, in an emailed statement.
“We always work hard to minimize any increases to tuition and fees,” Collingwood said, “as we understand that even small changes can affect students and their families.”
SGA President Christian Rangel said the increase was “unfortunate,” but added that it follows a consistent trend.
“My ideal world would be to lock in freshmen’s tuition rates for the whole four years,” Rangel said. “Maybe we could have a talk with them about doing that.”
For COPA students, the annual cost of tuition jumped to $51,260; up $1,500 from last year’s annual price of $49,760.
For non-COPA students — in arts and sciences, business, communication and education — the annual cost of tuition rose from $39,080 to $40,260, an increase of almost $1,200.
Collingwood called the 3% increase “modest,” and said charging more for tuition each year helps the university maintain its existing facilities and programs.
“Inflation affects nearly every aspect of university operations—from technology and utilities to student services and compensation,” Collingwood said. “This adjustment allows the University to preserve small class sizes, maintain the strength of its academic programs, and enhance the overall educational experience for students.”
Those aforementioned figures only account for the cost of tuition and do not factor in additional costs of room and board, meal plans or any other additional fees.
For many students, financial aid offsets some of that cost: Freshmen last semester got about $36,500 in aid each on average, according to Point Park’s website.
Some additional fees, particularly for graduate students, saw new fluctuations.
Graduate students will now be charged an additional $25 Activity fee each semester, which covers entry into the many events organized monthly by the Campus Activities Board. Students enrolled part-time at the university are now the only ones not charged an activity fee.
Collingwood said the fee was added to graduate students’ bills to bolster resources meant to enhance the student life experience. He noted part of the activity fee covers SGA initiatives.
“As graduate enrollment continues to grow, this approach ensures equity in how student life programming and shared campus benefits are supported across all student populations,” Collingwood said.
Full-time undergraduate students saw some hikes in fees, as well, particularly in their University and Health Services fees.
The University fee jumped by $60 and the Health Services fee by $100. Those fees are charged each semester.
The University fee funds student resources, like the library and the Student Center, and other service costs. The Health Services fee partly covers the University Counseling Center and Health Center, among other mental and physical well-being initiatives.
Both were increased in line with “the university’s ongoing investment in student-focused services,” Collingwood said.
The Health Services fee was increased to be in line with the costs of other nearby universities, Collingwood said.
“[The Health Services fee] was part of a recent benchmarking comparison among similar colleges and universities in the area,” Collingwood said, “which found that Point Park’s rate was significantly lower than peer institutions while providing additional services often not found at other institutions.”
The cost per semester of most programs’ credits increased from $15 to roughly $40, depending on the credit. Other fees, like the Pioneer Experience Orientation fee — listed as miscellaneous — saw no change.
