Braun: Indiana’s public colleges and universities will institute 2-year, in-state tuition freeze

Indiana University

All of Indiana’s public colleges and universities will freeze in-state undergraduate tuition for the next two school years, the Governor’s Office announced Tuesday.

That includes the seven flagship institutions—Ball State University; Indiana State University;  Indiana University; Ivy Tech Community College; Purdue University; University of Southern Indiana and Vincennes University—and satellite campuses, such as IU Indianapolis and Purdue University Fort Wayne.

According to the Governor’s Office, state records indicate this is the first time in nearly 15 years that more than two campuses have frozen tuition at the same time.

“A month ago, we challenged our state’s public higher education institutions to find efficiencies, eliminate redundancies and identify ways to streamline services without compromising quality,” Gov. Mike Braun said in a written statement. “The commitment made by all of Indiana’s public colleges and universities puts students and parents first and demonstrates to the rest of the country that Indiana is a leader in providing a high quality education at an affordable price.”

Under Indiana Code, the state’s Commission for Higher Education is required to make recommendations regarding tuition and fees within 30 days of the enactment of the state’s biennial budget. Earlier this year, the Commission voted unanimously to support Braun’s recommendation of holding rates flat for Indiana undergraduates.

Samantha Fleischaker, a student member of the Commission and a student at the University of Southern Indiana, said in a written statement that keeping tuition rates flat is “the difference between opportunity and what feels impossible.” 

“Keeping tuition flat keeps the door open for students of all backgrounds, all ZIP codes, and all walks of life,” she said. “It sends the message that education is not just for one demographic—it’s for all people.”

Several of the schools had already announced their intent to freeze tuition. Purdue, known for previous, longstanding freezes, endorsed a two-year freeze in its board of trustees meeting in April. Ivy Tech’s board of trustees approved the move in early June. Also this month, IU’s board of trustees were presented a two-year, in-state tuition freeze coupled with with increased tuition for out-of-state undergraduates and graduate programs, with some exceptions.

However, other institutions had signaled concern, as the governor’s suggested tuition freeze fell at the same time as across-the-board budget cuts. Purdue Fort Wayne and Ivy Tech also instituted layoffs, citing a 5% budget cut and funds withheld by the State Budget Agency.

University of Southern Indiana’s president previously told Inside INdiana Business that a tuition hike seemed “inevitable” amid budget pressures, noting that more than 90% of the school’s operating budget comes from tuition and state appropriations.

Indiana colleges that will freeze tuition

Here’s the full list of schools expected to freeze tuition for in-state undergraduates for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years:

• Ball State University
• Indiana State University
• Indiana University Bloomington
• Indiana University East
• Indiana University Indianapolis
• Indiana University Kokomo
• Indiana University Northwest
• Indiana University South Bend
• Indiana University Southeast
• Ivy Tech Community College
• Purdue University West Lafayette
• Purdue University Fort Wayne
• Purdue University Northwest
• University of Southern Indiana
• Vincennes University