Saint Louis University leads its rivals in the rate of tuition increases.

SLU’s 6.9 percent increase is higher than those of universities with which SLU commonly compares itself, including Creighton University, Marquette University, Washington University and Georgetown University.

As a comparison, Marquette raised tuition 5.4 percent. Both Washington University and Georgetown increased theirs 4.9 percent. The national average rate of tuition increases for private universities is 5.7 percent.

Creighton’s weighted-average increase is 4 percent. The school has a unique double-tiered tuition structure, under which current students’ tuition is only increased by the rate of inflation. However, every four years the base rate is raised significantly.

As a result, students paid tuition of $14,910 for the 2000-2001 academic year. Next year, freshman will pay $16,500, a 10 percent increase, though other students will only pay $15,172, a 2 percent boost.

Though SLU leads in percent increase, its 2001-2002 tuition ($19,708) falls in the middle of the five schools. A Creighton freshman will pay the least ($16,500), followed by an average student at Marquette ($18,421).

Marquette charges different tuition to students in different schools. Students in the schools of Communication, Health Sciences and Arts & Sciences will pay $18,173; those in the schools of Business Administration, Engineering, and Nursing will pay $18,669.

Washington University leads the pack in tuition ($26,377). The overall figure includes the base tuition of $25,700 plus an activity fee of $257 and a new health fee of $420.

Georgetown University’s tuition ($25,598) ranks second in the group.

No matter what the increase, each of the five universities examined are increasing tuition faster than the average-yearly growth of the consumer price index over the last decade, 3.5 percent. Except for Creighton, each university attributes the price increase due to heavy investing in academic improvements, faculty and buildings.

The increase at Creighton, according to Dennis O’Driscoll, director of admissions, is due in part to the East Creighton Expansion Program. This major project will increase the size of the campus by one-third. It will construct new buildings including a soccer stadium, enhance current labs and build more housing for upper classmen.

O’Driscoll said that the changes are being implemented by the new president of the University. “He wants to move us to a new level,” he said. He accredits this to similar changes that SLU President Rev. Lawrence Biondi, S.J., made to the SLU when he first arrived. “We’ve been too inexpensive,” O’Driscoll said.

If students who currently attend SLU complain about rising tuition prices, they may think it unfathomable to send their children to the University, some day. If tuition continues to increase at its current rate, a four-year education at SLU will cost more than $460,000 in 25 years.

As a whole, students understand the fact that it costs money to go to college. SLU costs less to attend than many other universities. However, there are many more universities that cost less than SLU.

The question students need to answer is how much they value a Saint Louis University education.