Cost of Attendance

Understanding the financial scope of your MBA is crucial to strategic planning. Below is a breakdown of direct and indirect costs for both on campus and off campus living based on a single student.

Tuck operates on a quarter schedule—each quarter represents a “term.” First year consists of four terms and second year consists of three terms. The student budget is based on your enrollment period. 

One of the most common questions we hear in the Financial Aid Office is: "How much is this really going to cost?" Read our blog Breaking Down the Cost of Attendance where we demystify the concept of Cost of Attendance and explain what it includes, why it matters, and how it affects your financial aid.

Student Budgets

For the Academic Year 2026-2027 based on a single student living in single housing.

Federal regulations do not allow living expenses for a student’s partner and dependents to be included in the cost of attendance. You should plan to use your personal resources to cover the additional cost of approximately $5,000 per accompanying spouse and $3,500 per accompanying child. Some of the expenses are based upon estimates such as books, supplies, and miscellaneous expenses. Your actual costs may vary depending on lifestyle and other personal choices. Anyone borrowing a federal student loan will automatically have the loan origination fees added to the cost of attendance.

¹Tuition costs are for the academic year 2026-27 and are subject to change. You should anticipate a 3-5% increase for the 2027-28 academic year.

²All first-year students are automatically packaged with the on-campus budget. If you are a first-year student living off-campus, please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss an off-campus budget.

³The program fee includes expenses for the MBA program such as course materials, transcripts, student activities, information technology services, infrastructure support, and an administrative fee. Some of these items will be billed separately on your statement in D-Pay.

⁴Any student may pursue a budget adjustment based on special or unusual circumstances by contacting the Financial Aid Office.

⁵Miscellaneous living expenses is comprised of several components such as:

• Additional health costs such as co-pay, and prescriptions
• Personal care
• Seasonal clothing
• Auto insurance and maintenance
• Local travel expenses
• Recreation allowance

Billing Timelines

Tuition and fees are billed in four equal installments in the first year and three equal installments in the second year with financial aid disbursing on the first day of class.

Academic year 2025-2026 dates

Joint and Dual Degree Programs 

Joint Degree:  Students who pursue a Dartmouth and Tuck joint degree program will be eligible for financial aid. The process may differ depending upon the program you choose. 

Term Exchange:  You will pay Tuck tuition and cover all travel costs to and from the host institution, accommodations, meals, and incidentals. Students are eligible for their Tuck financial aid. 

Dual Degree:  Tuck is based on a quarter term schedule with three terms in the second academic year. Most of our dual degree programs are with institutions that are based on two semesters in an academic year. While your path may be different, students typically spend the first academic year at Tuck, the second year at the partner institution, then a blended academic year at both institutions. In the blended academic year, students apply for and receive aid/scholarships from the institution where they are enrolled. While enrolled at Tuck for two terms, tuition and fees will be billed at two-thirds. Your financial aid, including scholarship, will also be prorated based on the time you are attending Tuck. 

Learn more about customizing your education.