All 15 Indiana public colleges commit to two-year tuition freeze

All 15 of Indiana’s public colleges and universities will freeze tuition and mandatory fees for in-state undergraduate students for the next two academic years, following a request by Gov. Mike Braun.

This is the first time since at least 2010 that more than two campuses have simultaneously held tuition flat.

“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,” Braun said in a statement early Tuesday. “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.”

The freeze applies to all Indiana and Purdue university campuses, Ball State, Indiana State, Southern Indiana, and Vincennes universities, and Ivy Tech Community College. Tuition rates for the next two academic year range between $12,144 to $8,424 at the four-year schools.

Purdue University has kept tuition at $9,992 for in-state students since 2013.

The freeze comes as most state agencies received a 5 percent funding cut in the new two-year state budget, and additional reductions are possible.

Ivy Tech Community College will lay off around 200 employees at campuses across the state in response to cuts in state support.

Student debt continues to be a major concern for students and families. The average federal student loan debt in Indiana is $32,914, according to the Education Data Initiative. The average student debt for state residents who earned bachelor’s degrees from public and private universities is $28,521, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education reported in its most recent study.

State leaders want to increase the number of students earning a degree. The number of Indiana high school graduates heading to college is just 53 percent for the third year in a row, according to the most recent data released last year.

Eric Weddle is WFYI's education team editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.