When Annika Searles ’29 opened an email from Associate Vice President for Enrollment Chris George on March 4, she wasn’t surprised to see tuition rising. 

The number still caught her off guard.

In the email, George announced that, for the 2026-27 academic year, St. Olaf College’s comprehensive fee will reach $81,200, marking the first time the total cost for tuition, housing, and meals has crossed the $80,000 mark. 

“I wouldn’t say that I’m shocked,” Searles said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “I kind of knew that it was going to go up. I was more shocked by how much it went up.”

St. Olaf a part of a national trend

St. Olaf has long ranked among the most expensive colleges in Minnesota, consistently trailing only Macalester and Carleton Colleges. Since 2016, the college’s tuition has increased by almost 50%. 

But, St. Olaf’s rising price is not unique. Over the past three decades, the average tuition at four-year colleges in the United States has similarly doubled after adjusting for inflation, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Sticker prices at many private colleges now easily approach $80,000 per year when housing and food are included. Some institutions are already passing the $100,000 threshold, with Wellesley College having a price tag of $100,541 for the 2025-26 academic year. 

However, these numbers can be misleading. In fact, the comprehensive fee is far from reflective of what students actually pay. 

“Very few students are actually paying the full amount,” Director of Financial Aid Steve Lindley said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “When I’m working with students and families, what I always refer to is the net price — the comprehensive fee minus grants and scholarships.”

According to Lindley and George, about 99% of St. Olaf students receive some form of financial aid. This means that only 1% of students actually pay that eye-widening number. 

As well, St. Olaf has had a continued commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need — the difference between a college’s total cost of attendance and a student’s ability to pay — through a combination of need-based and merit scholarships. 

That’s something less than 90 colleges in the country have committed to, George said.

It also reflects a wider trend in higher education of using a “high tuition, high aid” approach.

In this model, colleges’ published cost of attendance is set high, even though most students receive substantial financial aid. Families pay different amounts depending on their ability to pay, meaning the published number is much higher than what students actually contribute. 

“People sometimes compare it to airline flights,” St. Olaf Vice President for Business and Finance and CFO Mike Berthelsen said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “Everyone on the plane doesn’t pay the same price.”

According to him, cutting costs for everyone could actually make college less affordable for some families. Since the system is designed to balance what each student can reasonably pay, lowering tuition would, in turn, reduce the amount of money available to students with higher financial need. 

Plus, another factor in St. Olaf’s rising comprehensive fee is simply its market value. Part of the fee reflects the perceived value of an education at St. Olaf compared to other colleges.

“That is just the value of the institution and an education at St. Olaf relative to others,” Berthelsen said.

And, for colleges like St. Olaf, that value can be expected to increase exponentially. 

“Across the river they’re starting with a nine next year,” Lindley said, referring to nearby Carleton College. “Within a couple years they’re going to start with one. $100,000 is crazy. But it’s where the market is moving.”

George acknowledged that St. Olaf could eventually reach the same milestone.

“We had these conversations when we crossed 30,000. When we crossed 40,000. When we crossed 50,000. I get it,” George said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “And yet, that’s the industry we’re in.”  

Students still left in the dark 

For many students, the email quickly became a topic of conversation. Regardless of whether the increase would substantially change their bill, there was confusion about what exactly the new number meant.

“Almost everyone brought it up the day after,” Searles said. “It was a topic of conversation no matter who I was talking to. There was just general anxiety.”

Searles said the increase also prompted conversations at home. Her parents, who both work in finance, keep detailed spreadsheets tracking college costs.

“My mom talked to me about it too,” Searles said. “She said it’s a pretty big increase, like $5,000 a year. If it keeps going up by numbers like that, it could approach $90,000 by the time I’m a senior here.”

While she said she values her education at St. Olaf, the scale of the number still feels daunting. “$90,000 a year is a lot for anyone, no matter where you come from financially,” Searles said.

Other students said the increase felt surprising — particularly for those who expected the cost of attendance to remain relatively stable over the course of four years.

“I think it’s a little bit of disappointment and surprise,” Annika Kirchmaier ’27 said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger. “When you’re a returning student, you expect to pay a certain amount for all four years. When it keeps increasing every year, it can feel like it gets out of hand.”

Some students said the announcement also revealed how little they understand about how tuition decisions are made.

“I definitely don’t really understand how any of that works,” Adam Broga ’28 said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger, “why it goes up, or why they make the decisions they do.”

That uncertainty has led some students to say they would like clearer explanations from the College about how tuition is set and why it continues to rise. 

Student Government Association (SGA) Secretary of Student Affairs Anna Grace ’26 understands these concerns. As Secretary of Student Affairs, Grace represents the student body to the Board of Regents, which handles the long-term financial health of the College — such as setting the comprehensive fee annually. 

She also understands the money has to come from somewhere. 

“Education has to cost money, and it has to increase over time,” Grace said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.

For her part, she hopes that students who wish to voice their concerns go through SGA, as conversations with the board are limited. 

“It’s about where we [the students] want that money to go. I think that’s where more student voices could be heard,” Grace said. “Administration is receptive to talking with SGA about all sorts of issues, including this one.”