The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted unanimously on May 22, 2026 to raise undergraduate tuition 4 percent at all four of its campuses beginning fall 2026. Graduate students will see a 3 percent increase. The dollar impact ranges from $247.50 to $315 more per semester depending on which campus you attend.

The University of Missouri System's governing board approved tuition increases across all four of its campuses on May 22, 2026. The vote was unanimous.1

The increases take effect for the fall 2026 semester, which means students who have already received financial aid offers based on current tuition rates may have a gap in their planned budgets.

The Dollar Impact by Campus

The 4 percent undergraduate increase translates differently depending on which Mizzou campus you attend. These figures are for Missouri residents taking 15 credit hours per semester:1

  • University of Missouri (Columbia): $286.70 more per semester — $19.11 per credit hour
  • Missouri University of Science and Technology: $287 more per semester — $19.13 per credit hour
  • University of Missouri-Kansas City: $247.50 more per semester — $16.50 per credit hour
  • University of Missouri-St. Louis: $315 more per semester — $21 per credit hour

$315 — Maximum additional undergraduate tuition per semester at UM-St. Louis, fall 2026University of Missouri Board of Curators, May 22, 2026

Graduate students at all four campuses will see a 3 percent increase. Professional degrees — including medicine, dentistry, law, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, and optometry — will see increases ranging from 0.8 to 4.75 percent. Optometry tuition is unchanged.1

How This Compares

The 4 percent increase is at the lower end of what Missouri's public universities approved this cycle. Other Missouri public universities raised undergraduate tuition between 4.7 and 5 percent for fall 2026. Neighboring state institutions and SEC member schools approved increases between 2 and 4.5 percent.1

At private universities, the increases are larger. Georgetown University announced a 4.75 percent tuition increase for 2026-27, bringing undergraduate tuition to $74,520 before fees, room, or board. For a full look at how public and private college costs compare, see our private vs. public college cost breakdown.

The Mizzou vote is part of a national pattern we have been tracking in college tuition increases for fall 2026, where some schools are raising rates by 10 percent or more while simultaneously cutting programs.

Why Tuition Is Going Up Again

University officials cited several converging pressures:

Federal and state funding uncertainty. Multiple states have reduced higher education appropriations in 2026, and federal research grant revenue has become harder to count on. When state support falls, schools compensate through tuition.

International enrollment decline. International students pay full sticker tuition. With new international undergraduate enrollment falling 20 percent nationwide in spring 2026, a significant source of full-price revenue has contracted. Schools across the sector are absorbing that loss.

Rising operating costs. Fuel, facilities maintenance, employee benefits, and competitive faculty salaries are all higher than they were three years ago. Those costs do not go away when enrollment pressure increases.

If your financial aid was calculated before the Board of Curators vote on May 22, contact your financial aid office now. Some schools adjust grant amounts automatically when tuition increases. Others require you to ask — and they will not reach out to you first.

What Mizzou Students Should Do Now

Recalculate your fall budget. If you built your cost plan using this year's tuition rates, you are now $247 to $315 short per semester before room, board, and fee adjustments. The average cost of college provides context on what peer institutions charge.

Consider a financial aid appeal. A tuition increase is a legitimate reason to request a review of your aid package. Our financial aid appeal letter guide walks through what to say and how to document the request.

Search for additional scholarships. Many scholarship applications are still open through summer. Our college scholarships 2026 strategy guide lists awards with upcoming deadlines and explains how to match yourself to the right ones.

Be careful before borrowing more. A 4 percent tuition increase sounds manageable in isolation. Over four years of compounding increases, it is not. Before taking on extra loans to cover the gap, read our breakdown of how much student debt is too much — particularly if you are in a field where starting salaries are modest.

If you are still comparing schools and have not yet committed, our guide to comparing financial aid offers explains how to account for tuition trajectories, not just the price you see today.

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Footnotes

  1. Missourinet. (2026, May 22). Univ. of Missouri Board of Curators votes to raise tuition at all 4 campuses. Missourinet. https://www.missourinet.com/2026/05/22/univ-of-missouri-board-of-curators-votes-to-raise-tuition-at-all-4-campuses/ ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. KCUR / Missouri News Network. (2026, May 21). University of Missouri Curators plan 4% tuition increase for undergraduates on all campuses. KCUR. https://www.kcur.org/education/2026-05-21/university-of-missouri-tuition-increase-fall-2026 ↩