ISU Campus Housing and Meals Rise $470

Students living on campus at Indiana State University will pay $295 more for housing and $175 more for meals starting in the 2027-28 academic year.

Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Higher Education

Flat gouache-painted editorial illustration of a stack of white dinner plates beside a brass house key on a cream surface, in muted ochre and sage tones. — Indiana State University's board approved a 3.9% increase on Friday, raising on-campus housing by $295 and meal plans by $175 for students starting in 2027-28. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Are college housing and meal costs becoming harder for your family to afford?

Indiana State University's board of trustees approved a 3.9% increase in housing and dining rates for 2027-28. For students living on campus, the traditional housing rate rises from $7,563 to $7,858 a year, and the standard meal plan rises from $4,497 to $4,672.

Why it matters

The increases are the first housing rate change in three years and reflect cost pressures tied to insurance, utilities and technology, along with inflation in food and labor costs. For students weighing on-campus living, the change adds to the total cost of attending the school.

The traditional on-campus housing rate rises by $295 to $7,858 a year, and the standard meal plan rises by $175 to $4,672. Both increases take effect for the 2027-28 academic year, and the housing increase is the first in three years.

The players

Indiana State University

A public university in Terre Haute, Indiana, whose board set the new on-campus housing and dining rates.

Sodexo

A dining services provider under contract with Indiana State University to run campus dining.

The details

The board approved the rates at its Friday meeting on November 13, 2026, setting the new 2027-28 prices for on-campus housing and dining. The dining increase follows inflation in food and labor costs under the university's contract with dining provider Sodexo. The housing increase reflects cost pressures tied to insurance, utilities and technology, and students will see the new figures in their housing and meal plan charges once the rates take effect.

November 13, 2026: Board approved the housing and dining increases at its Friday meeting.
2027-28 academic year: Increased housing and dining rates take effect.
Spring semester: The renovated Technology Annex opens to students.
March 19: Official ribbon cutting for the Technology Annex is scheduled.

Education Landscape

The housing and dining increases come as Indiana's 2025 state law sets a minimum average of 15 graduates for bachelor's programs over three years, tying program productivity to state expectations. Rising campus living costs fit a wider higher-education pattern in which operating pressures from insurance, utilities and technology are passed on to students.

Students planning to live on campus in 2027-28 should budget for the $295 housing increase and the $175 meal plan increase when comparing total costs. Families can ask the school's financial-aid or housing office how the new rates will factor into their estimated cost of attendance.

The takeaway

Campus living costs are set to rise for the 2027-28 year, so the total cost of attending is worth recalculating early. Before deciding on housing and meal plans, ask the school's financial-aid or housing office how the new rates fit into your overall budget.