UW-Madison's in-state tuition and fees for the 2007-08 academic year increased by 7 percent, a rate on average with state and public universities of its kind, the College Board announced Monday.
UW-Madison tuition for a state resident increased 5.5 percent this year, which equaled about $330. However, when taking segregated fees and room and board into account, the total in-state cost increased by about $460, or roughly 7 percent.
The full cost increase is only slightly more than the national average increase for in-state students at four-year public universities across the state and nation, according to the College Board's annual Trends in College Pricing 2007"" report.
The average increase overall was about $380 at four-year public universities, about a 7 percent increase from last year.
For just Wisconsin universities, the increase was slightly lower at roughly $370, about 6 percent.
UW System Spokesperson David Giroux said the state has been able to control the rise in tuition and fees to a level that is at or below the national average, with UW-Madison being an exception.
""We continue to offer a high quality education in Wisconsin at a really affordable price,"" Giroux said. ""Other campuses in the nation have seen smaller percentage increases, but actually equaled more money.""
Giroux said UW-Madison's increase balances out when put into the context of peer research institutions.
""I think if you compared UW-Madison to other Big Ten comparable research schools, it would probably be on the affordable side even in terms of percentage increases,"" Giroux said.
Connie Hutchison, Wisconsin Higher Education Aids Board executive secretary, agreed with Giroux, attributing the larger increase for UW-Madison students to the quality of the school.
""UW-Madison is a world-class research university,"" Hutchison said, comparing it to large campuses such as UCLA, the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota.
She said UW-Madison competes with these schools for faculty and staff, which could be the reason for increased costs.
Overall, Hutchison said national tuition increases will force students to look more carefully into how to get a degree while still minimizing their debt.
