From Crain"s Detroit: "Effective with the next academic year that begins in fall 2018, tuition for new students(at University of Detroit/Mercy) will be $28,000 per year, down from the current annual cost of $41,158.
Current students' tuition will decrease to $28,840 next year, reflecting a 3 percent tuition increase upperclassmen are charged.
The current sticker price had been deterring parents and students from considering the Catholic university, President Antoine Garibaldi said.
Since joining Detroit Mercy six years ago, Garibaldi has gotten to know many of the local high school principals. They tell him students and parents think highly of Detroit Mercy but don't even consider it once they see the price of tuition.
"Now we will really be in the ballpark with other prospective schools so that parents and students will take a serious look at us," Garibaldi said.
The University of Michigan and Michigan State University, the Detroit university's largest competitors, are charging in-state freshmen $14,826 and $14,516 for the current academic year, respectively."
This will be an interesting marketing and recruiting move to watch among the private/non profit colleges and universities. It could make a huge difference or just be a flop like all marketing moves.
However I do believe what President Garibaldi says he was hearing from parents and students about tuition sticker shock keeping them from considering UDM. Public college and university presidents are hearing the same message about their tuition. Private/Independents and public colleges and universities are all confronting the issue of parent/student concerns about ever increasing cost of higher education. For middle class families I think sometimes it is difficult for them to understand why they should pay $41,000 plus at a private/independent institution when a neighboring public institution is charging $14,000 plus. Many will say both choices are high quality institutions so why burden our child with a $100-$200,000, or even more, student loan burden.
UDM's move I am sure will be watched by the other private/independent colleges and universities who are doing the same tuition discounting that UDM does. If this works they too can begin to look at their tuition discounting policies and go to the so-called "real tuition cost" right up front.