The Rockhurst High School Board of Trustees approved an increase in tuition and fees for the 2026-2027 school year, raising cost of attendance by $825 for most families. School president David Laughlin announced the increase to the broader Rockhurst community in a statement in the Feb. 8 edition of the Principal’s Newsletter.
Tuition for the upcoming year has been finalized at $17,525, a year-over-year increase of $775. Lunch fees will increase $50 to $1,150, while technology fees for the rising freshman, sophomore, and junior classes will hold steady at $490. As the final group using iPads, the class of 2027 will pay $250 for their technology. All told, families will pay 4.5% more for their sons to attend Rockhurst in the coming year.
In the same statement, Laughlin announced a total of more than three million dollars in financial aid will be awarded to families in the upcoming year. Financial aid eligibility is determined through a third-party company, Financial Aid Independent Review (FAIR).
Rockhurst has maintained that the school will continue to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need across the student body. In a statement given by email, Laughlin confirmed that financial aid at Rockhurst will continue to cover lunch and technology fees, in addition to one-time activity fees, in certain circumstances.
In addition to need-based grants, additional opportunities such as High School Placement Test scholarships for incoming freshmen and the work grant program will remain in place. Rockhurst will also continue to offer different payment plans, with families able to pay up front or in a series of either four or ten payments.
Discussions over operating cost are continuous throughout the year. Rockhurst’s chief financial officer Allen Roberson said that initial meetings to determine tuition commenced last November. Roberson and other members of the school’s business office work over the course of roughly two months with other leaders, including Laughlin and principal Rev. Stephen Kramer, S.J., to curate a proposal for the board of directors’ finance committee, which then goes to the board as a whole for approval.
“Most of the revisions happen during the process when we’re going through it as a leadership team,” Roberson said. “When we get [it] to the finance committee, there are some questions that they may have…but in most cases it’s a very smooth process.”
In addition to general increases in overhead costs—such as utilities, supplies, and upkeep of campus—both Laughlin and Roberson indicated that fair compensation of teachers and staff is the largest factor in determining tuition.
“We look at the cost of the operations of the school, especially on the instructional side,” Roberson said.
After many teachers left the profession in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laughlin and Roberson say that retaining teachers is more critical than ever.
“We understand that there’s a competitive environment out there, so we want to make sure that we’re able to compensate our teachers as fairly as possible,” Roberson said.
“We’ve been blessed to retain a high percentage of our outstanding teachers,” Laughlin said. “I hope and think Rockhurst is a great place to teach.”
While cost of living trends up nationwide, Rockhurst leadership is aiming to keep costs manageable via financial aid in a continued effort to outpace inflation.
Questions about financial aid and cost of attendance can be answered by contacting the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].
