University of Pittsburgh Approves Capital and Operating Budgets, Sets Tuition Rates for All Campuses

PITTSBURGH—The Executive and Budget Committees of the University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees today approved capital and operating budgets for the 2018-2019 academic year. Together, these budgets will fuel the University’s accelerated rise in academic excellence, institutional support for students and research innovation while also maintaining the superior value of a Pitt education.

The capital budget of $339.5 million (up from $251.7 million in 2017-2018) will support high-priority investments in the University’s infrastructure, including renovations to key facilities, such as the Hillman Library and Salk Hall, home to Pitt’s School of Pharmacy. The approved budget will also expand utilization of the Petersen Sports Complex, advance the redevelopment of 5000 Baum Blvd. (Immune Transplant and Therapy Center) and support energy-saving sustainability projects.

The approved operating budget of $2.3 billion (up from $2.2 billion in 2017-2018) will enable the University to strategically strengthen its work in mission-critical areas, such as undergraduate student success, transformative partnerships and cutting-edge research.

This budget includes a projected record research base of $819 million (up from $808 million in 2017-2018), which directly reflects Pitt’s status as a global leader in research and innovation. The operating budget also apportions a salary increase pool of 2.25 percent to both support talent retention amid an increasingly competitive employment market and recognize individual employees whose contributions are vital to the University’s success. The operating budget also sets tuition levels for the 2018-2019 academic year.

The approved tuition schedule holds undergraduate tuition rates level for the majority of in-state students on all five campuses. On the regional campuses, most out-of-state students will see no rise in tuition. On the Pittsburgh campus, out-of-state undergraduate tuition levels will rise 4.75 percent. Engineering students will see an increase — regardless of their residency status — due to increasing program demands and costs. Room and board fees on the Pittsburgh campus will not change.

These tuition decisions reflect a 3 percent increase in support from the commonwealth and the fact that Pitt has maintained out-of-state tuition levels that are priced well below other public universities. They also help extend the University’s commitment to keeping costs as low as possible for all students while sustaining investments that make a Pitt education one of extraordinarily high value.

“I am grateful that Governor Wolf and the General Assembly have strengthened their investment in the partnership between the University of Pittsburgh and the commonwealth. I am sure that finding these precious state resources was not an easy task, and our entire University community is grateful for their strong support, which allowed us to leave in-state tuition at last year’s level for almost all of our undergraduate students,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “Investing in Pitt remains one of the best ways to invest in Pennsylvania’s future. Our record of injecting new and needed opportunities, talent and economic vitality into the state is clear. And the actions today, taken by our trustees, will directly support our efforts to continue offering all students world-class learning and research opportunities at an unparalleled value.”

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