Oakland University Board of Trustees passes 2025-26 budget

On June 27, during Oakland University’s formal meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the budget for the 2025-26 academic year totalling in at $318,060,735. The Board of Trustees approved the budget based on its goals of providing students with a high quality education in an accessible manner in an environment that supports that education.

The tuition rate for the 2025-26 academic year has increased for undergraduate, in-state lower division students by 4.50% to $16,575 or $552.50 per credit hour.

The tuition rate for the 2025-26 academic year has increased for graduate, in-state students by 3.99% to $22,836 or $951.50 per credit hour.

The Board of Trustees also agreed to increase the housing rates on Oakland University’s campus by an average of $475 a semester, or less than $5 a day. The rate for a double room has increased to $11,621. Even with this increase in boarding costs, the school still offers among the lowest rates of all the of the state-funded universities, being among the three cheapest, according to an article on Oakland University’s website.

Oakland University is continuing its no-fee policy which aims to keep its pricing transparent by adding no additional fees to its stated costs. The 2025-26 budget also includes $40.6 million in financial aid, which is a net 29.6% discount on tuition for full-time resident undergraduate students. Qualifying freshmen can also take advantage of a tuition-free first four years through the university’s Golden Guarantee program.

Senior vice president for Finance and Administration and treasurer to the Board of Trustees, Stephen W. Mackey, spoke about the new budget, saying, “Our financial planning process was much different than usual this year as we had to consider enrollment projections, financial aid support and operating costs like usual, but we had to take our best guess as to what the state appropriations number might be since it could vary widely based on what plan is adopted. Regardless of that variable, we always produce a budget that reaffirms Oakland’s tradition of sound fiscal management that seeks cost containment opportunities and produces a balanced general fund budget.”

Oakland University is working under the guidance of its Strategic Vision 2030 plan to provide its students, staff, and faculty with a supportive community and a sense of belonging. The school is also working to develop an engaging learning environment in the classroom with what it calls The Pledge, which is the school’s stated commitment to providing students with beneficial work experiences and internships both on campus and in the community. Oakland University is working to be one of the major “brain gain” institutions for Michigan, making sure graduates are ready for good job opportunities in the state after their school work has concluded. A study by the Anderson Economic Group showed that in the 2024 fiscal year, the university generated almost $2 billion in economic activity in the state, and supported over 6,000 jobs.

Part of Oakland University's Strategic Vision 2030 plan is to be committed to providing programs and resources that provide students with holistic care, servicing both their physical and mental health.

Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz was quoted about the budget, saying, “It has been my charge as president to provide our students with an accessible, affordable and world-class education that serves as a catalyst for upward mobility and opportunity. And, we will continue to do that for the upcoming school year and into the future.”

More information about Oakland University can be found at the school’s website here.