News

UMW Board of Visitors Sets Tuition and Fees for 2026-27

At its quarterly meeting on April 17, 2026, the University of Mary Washington Board of Visitors set tuition and fees for the 2026-27 academic year. The Board voted unanimously to authorize a 2.6% tuition increase for undergraduate and graduate students and a mandatory comprehensive fee increase of 4% for the 2026-27 academic year. Housing rates will increase by 2.5% while the dining rate will remain unchanged.

In total, these increases stay around 3% or less for undergraduate residential students with a meal plan, and for commuter students who live off campus without a meal plan. Of the 15 public universities in Virginia, UMW’s total costs (tuition, housing, and mandatory fees) for in-state and out-of-state students continue to be among the most affordable, ranking fifth to eighth in lowest cost in 2025-26, while funding a liberal arts and sciences educational program that ranks among the top 10 in the nation by U.S. News.

With small classes, undergraduate research projects working side-by-side with faculty, study abroad and internships, UMW’s education extends well beyond the classroom into career-based opportunities. It is an education led by faculty – not teaching assistants – with staff support and personalized to student success.

The tuition and fee increase supports state-mandated compensation actions for faculty and staff; assuming a 2% salary increase and 13% health insurance increase, as well as minimum wage increase, while accounting for inflation impacting the price of goods, materials and services; and state administrative system charge increases. 

With the Virginia state budget still pending, UMW has moved forward to set tuition and fees on the spring schedule to provide timely information for students and families planning their academic year.

In-state undergraduate students living on campus will see an overall annual increase of $686, while out-of-state undergraduate students living on campus will see an overall increase of $1,038.

When adding tuition and mandatory fees with food and housing costs, the total cost in 2026-27 for a Virginia undergraduate student living on campus will be $30,281, while the total cost of an out-of-state undergraduate living on campus will be $44,139.

Virginia students who choose Mary Washington may also benefit from the Tuition Promise, which covers full tuition for Pell-eligible in-state students and families who qualify. In addition, UMW automatically considers students for all eligible awards, including merit scholarships. UMW’s Washington Scholars Program and Alvey Scholars Program provide full tuition, fees, and dining and housing for in-state students and out-of-state students respectively, and new this year, UMW has awarded more than a dozen Irene Piscopo Rodgers Science Fellowships, recognizing undergraduate excellence in STEM fields, with funding toward scholarship and research at the undergraduate level.

Undergraduate tuition and fees and graduate tuition and fees are available on the UMW Student Accounts website. UMW’s Scholarship Application is open through May 15 for most awards, and applications for admission are available.