Last week, the University of Manitoba announced they will be increasing tuition by 4%, the largest increase since a 6.6% increase in 2018.
In an emailed statement to CKDM NewsNow, University of Manitoba President and Vice-Chancellor Michael Benarroch said the increase is a necessity to support their programs.
"Over the past decade, provincial funding has declined in real terms, so we appreciate the Province's additional two percent to our operating grant and the recognition that an increase in tuition is necessary. We need it to support expanding programs that address labour needs and gaps, as well as to retain world-class talent," read part of the statement.
Between graduate, undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing education programs, the Univeristy of Manitoba offers 425 different programs to students. Their website estimates average tuition costs as high as $27,500 for dentistry programs and as low as $5,600 for arts programs. An increase of 4% would raise the dentistry average to $28,600, and the arts average to $5,824.
The lowest average international student tuition is $20,400 for an arts program, and the highest is $33,600 for law programs. With the 4% tuition increase, the average for an arts program is $21,216, and the average for law programs is $34,944.
In the statement, Benarroch said the increase is designed to help offset reduced funding after a sizeable decrease in international student enrollment.
"While we saw a rise in domestic student enrollment this fall, it cannot compensate for the 40 percent drop in international enrollment or replace the revenue, innovation, and diversity of thought those students brought to our campus," read part of the statement.
According to the University of Manitoba website, there were 31,922 students attending as of the Fall 2025 term, including 6,278 international students. As of the Fall 2024 term, they had 27,495 students, including 6,708 international students. Fall 2025 saw a 16% increase in total students, and a 6.4% decrease in international students.
"Currently, our tuition remains 22.5 percent below the national average, according to Statistics Canada. We understand that this increase will be an adjustment for students, but we remain committed to supporting accessibility through scholarships and bursaries," read another part of the statement.
The 2026 provincial budget gives an increase of 2% to the University of Manitoba's operating grant, and a $16.8 million dollar investment towards building 2 new research facilities.
