By Sarah Carlson, Staff Writer

Tuition will increase 7 percent next year to a per-hour cost of $455.

A yearly increase averaging 6 to 7 percent is normal, said Phil Schubert, vice president for finance. The current cost is $425 per hour.

“Increasing tuition is necessary for us to maintain the high quality of education at ACU,” Schubert said.

The tuition increase affects all students, not just entering freshmen.

Costs of state-of-the-art technology and funds for human resources, including medical insurance, play into the increase, Schubert said.

He said ACU is at the national average for tuition costs and has been listed in U.S. News & World Report for “top quartile quality with the lowest quartile price” for the past 8 to 9 years, meaning the university’s quality is in the top 25 percent of schools in its bracket, while its cost is in the bottom 25 percent.

Schubert said it has been difficult to avoid raising tuition in the past, but that he does not want to speak for the future.

With recent budget cuts for the university and increasing financial pressure, Schubert said the administration did not feel the right answer was to increase tuition faster than normal.

Schubert said he feels good that the increase is not higher, noting that some public universities have increased tuition at least 14 percent.

“Our focus is to make sure we provide the highest quality of education at a standard of excellence,” Schubert said.