Per-credit tuition
Also called per credit hour tuition · unit price · credit-hour rate
Not by itself. A $1,800 credit × 48 credits is $86,400, before fees. A $80,000 program fee can be lower. Per-credit is transparent for stop-outs and standing. It is expensive for overloads, retakes, and unwaived foundations. Compare program totals, then look at how the meter runs.
Per-credit tuition is a unit price times credits registered. Part-time and many online MBAs bill this way; full-time locksteps often bill a year price. Standing saves money only if the bursar drops credits. Unwaived foundations still meter (20 U.S.C. § 1087ll).
Is per-credit cheaper?
Not by itself. A $1,800 credit × 48 credits is $86,400, before fees. A $80,000 program fee can be lower. Per-credit is transparent for stop-outs and standing. It is expensive for overloads, retakes, and unwaived foundations. Compare program totals, then look at how the meter runs.
How the meter runs
| Billing | What you pay for | Hidden extra | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-credit | Credits registered | Foundations, retakes, internships for credit | Bursar |
| Annual / term tuition | The term, load banded | Summer term; overload fees | Ross-style COA |
| Program fee | The whole MBA | Standing may not reduce it | School pages |
| Comprehensive fee | Tuition + some living | Rare at MBA; more undergrad | IPEDS |
COA for a per-credit program should use the tuition “normally assessed” for that workload. An aid office that budgets 18 credits while you sit 9 will overstate loans. An office that budgets 9 while the lockstep is 12 will under-certify.
Example: Evening MBA, $1,650 per credit, 54 credits, two unwaived foundations (6 credits) plus a 3-credit intern. Catalog “48-credit MBA” is not the bill. Bill = 57 × $1,650 = $94,050, plus fees. A friend in the full-time program pays a $78,000 year sticker twice and cannot drop credits.
Common errors
- Multiplying per-credit by core-only credits
- Assuming standing reduces a program fee
- Comparing one year’s full-time sticker to a per-credit course
- Forgetting that COA scales with load
FAQ
Does a dropped class refund per-credit tuition?
On the bursar’s refund calendar, not on yours. Census dates exist. After that, the credit is billed. Aid may also recalc if load drops below half-time.
Is the online rate the same as the evening rate?
Often not. Schools publish separate per-credit prices by program, residency, and modality. “The university’s graduate rate” is usually the wrong line.
How do I compare per-credit to a program fee?
Multiply expected credits including foundations, then add fees both sides. If standing or waivers are likely, run two totals. Do not compare 12 credits of evening school to a two-year full-time sticker.
Related terms
Sources
- Cost of attendance, 20 U.S.C. § 1087ll COA uses tuition normally assessed for the same workload — per-credit programs scale with load
- Michigan Ross full-time MBA financial aid 2026–27 Contrast: full-time billed as annual tuition, not a public per-credit menu
