The Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — approved a 4.25% increase in undergraduate tuition and fees at its February meeting, according to a Monday Today@Brown announcement from President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20.
Total undergraduate tuition and fees have risen to $97,016 for the upcoming academic year, an increase from $93,164 in direct costs for the 2025-26 school year.
Medical school tuition is increasing 2.75% and most graduate programs will see a 4% price hike.
The increases will go into effect for the 2026-27 academic year and are based on a review of financial trends, including Brown’s structural operating deficit, its recent expansion of financial aid initiatives, budget-reduction measures and external factors such as inflation, Paxson wrote.
The price hike will be implemented alongside a projected $6.5 million increase in the undergraduate financial aid budget, a reduction from last year’s $17 million increase.
During their meeting, the Corporation also approved a 3% total increase in the salary pool for all employees earning up to and including $80,000 a year — composed of a 2.5% increase in base salary and a 0.5% increase in designated funding for promotions, retention and equity. They also approved a 2% total increase for all employees earning over $80,000 — a 1.5% increase in base salary and a 0.5% increase in PRE components.
The increases in tuition and salaries are based on a mid-cycle report and recommendations from the University Resources Committee, a group of faculty members, students and administrators who regularly provide reports and recommendations to the Corporation related to University finances, Paxson wrote.
This year, the URC chose not to include a merit allocation — which consists of performance-based pay increases — in the total salary pool.
Dividing the salary increase into base and merit pools “would have resulted in a very small merit pool that would not have a meaningful impact on the University’s performance evaluation process,” Paxson wrote in the announcement.
The absence of a merit pool “does not obviate the need for and importance of robust performance evaluations and feedback processes conducted by all supervisors, as normally occurs in the spring of each year,” she added.
At the February meeting, Jeffrey Hines ’83 MD’86 was appointed to his first term as secretary of the Corporation, effective July 1. He will succeed Richard Friedman ’79.
Corporation members also held smaller committee meetings largely focused on campus safety and security initiatives, and considered how these priorities will be adapted based on the recommendations given by the two external security assessments currently being conducted.
The Corporation also formally accepted more than $90 million in individual gifts and pledges exceeding $1 million.
Members of the Corporation also approved new endowed positions in recognition of these gifts, including the Thomas B. McMullen ’62 Directorship of Men's and Women's Golf and Suna and İpek Kiraç Professorship of Brain Science I.
Roma Shah is a senior staff writer covering University Hall and higher education. She's a freshman from Morgan Hill, CA and studies Neuroscience. In her free time, she can be found doing puzzles, hiking or curled up with a book.
Jeremiah Farr is a senior staff writer covering university hall and higher education.
