Liberty University won’t raise tuition through 2025 in commitment to affordable Christian education

Liberty University recently announced it won’t raise its tuition through the 2024-25 school year, despite the rising cost of education nationwide.

The Virginia-based Christian school committed to keeping tuition prices the same for both online and residential students in a press release.

“At Liberty University, we believe God made every person for a unique purpose, and we want to equip as many students as we can to fulfill their God-given calling as part of our mission of Training Champions for Christ,” said university president Dondi Costin. “Every student, no matter their financial situation, should have the opportunity to pursue what God has called them to be.”  

Liberty is already known for being one of the most affordable private colleges in the country.  

Currently, its annual undergraduate tuition is just $23,800. Online tuition varies by program.  

The average tuition for a private university in 2022-23 was $39,400.  

While many colleges slowed or stalled tuition increases during the pandemic, Liberty hasn’t raised prices for in-person students in six years or for online students in nine years. 

“We have held our tuition steady for so long because we don’t want families to pay the incredible markup,” said Chief Financial Officer Rob Ritz in the press release. “Students tell us this freeze is a huge blessing for them. Our primary focus is on serving our students well and stewarding what God has given us to meet their needs.”  

The cost of college tuition raises 8% every year on average and has nearly tripled since 1980.  

But Liberty University isn’t the only Christian school maintaining its affordability.  

Religious K-12 school across the nation are more accessible than their secular counterparts. 

According to the Education Data Initiative, the average “nonsectarian” K-12 private school costs over $22,000 annually – over twice the average. Catholic schools cost $10,000, and other religious schools average $8,000.  

Religious private school tuition is also consistently less than the average per-pupil funding given to public schools.