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.
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.