• Undergraduate tuition will increase an average $1,450 in 2008
• Full-time Law school tuition will increase an average $1,610
• Full-time School of Dentistry tuition will increase an average $1,660
• Undergraduate room and board costs will increase an average $343

Tuition for full-time undergraduate students will increase by an average of $1,450 for the next school year. Dentistry and Law School tuitions and undergraduate room and board are also on the rise.

The board of trustees approved the 5.5 percent increase, to $27,720 per year, for full-time undergraduate tuition.

Mary Pat Pfeil, senior director of university communication, said the increases are because of the rise of costs in many areas, including employee compensation, utilities and equipment. Tuition revenue covers about 65 percent of the cost to educate a Marquette undergraduate, she said.

In a letter to parents, the board of trustees said the increases were approved to: continue to provide quality academic programs; recruit and retain the highest quality faculty and staff; maintain a safe and appealing campus environment; and offer students opportunities to explore and discover all they can be.

According to Pfeil, next year's tuition increase is lower than the 2006-'07 tuition increase of $1,720, and the 2007-'08 increase of $1,600. Tuition for the 2006-'07 academic year was $24,670. This academic year's tuition is $26,270.

"Marquette is a careful steward of its assets, achieving academic ratings significantly higher than what might be expected based on the university's financial status," Pfeil said.

In U.S. News and World Report's 2008 report, of the 55 private schools ranked in the top 100 national universities for 2008, 48 have tuitions higher than Marquette. Only three of the remaining six schools with lower tuitions than Marquette rank higher than Marquette, which holds the 82nd spot, Pfeil said.

The average tuition at Jesuit universities for the 2006 academic year was $26,842, a 6.4 percent increase from 2005. The average for the 2007 academic year was $28,568, a 6.5 percent increase from 2006, according to Melissa C. Di Leonardo, director of communications for the Association of Jesuit Colleges & Universities.

Tuition for full-time Law School students will also increase, by an average of $1,610, to $31,020. Dentistry tuition will increase an average of $1,660, to $43,080, for out of state students and $34,330 for in-state students, according to the Marquette University 2008-'09 Rate Guide.

Pfeil said room and board in residence halls will increase by an average of $343. Total room and board fees depend upon in which residence hall a student lives.

Graduate students will see a per-credit expense increase of $40, to $840. Undergraduate students in the College of Professional Studies' per-credit cost will increase by $20, to $515, Pfeil said.

Rents for university-owned apartments, fees for Student Health Services, the UPASS program and the student activity fee will remain the same.

College of Arts & Sciences senior Jonathan Bartelt said he thinks students should be given more information about where the extra money is going.

"It's a rise that's greater than the rate of inflation, so what's costing more?" Bartelt asked.

He said as a senior who's applying to Marquette for graduate school, the increases are a concern.

"I care because it's always going to be getting harder and harder—when does it stop?" Bartelt said.

College of Business Administration sophomore Thomas Barsella said he thinks the tuition increase could be worse.

"I've talked to friends that go to other private universities and they pay up in the $50,000 tuition range," Barsella said. "Marquette gives a lot of financial aid and I feel that most people that want to come here have the opportunity if they want to."