Tuition and Fees

 Tuition and Fees

Your tuition at the University of Pennsylvania is calculated at a per course unit (c.u.) rate based on the program you choose and the number of course units for which you register unless otherwise indicated. Tuition for each class taken by Master of Liberal Arts and Master of Philosophy students is billed at the rates listed in the table below.

The rates listed below will be effective summer 2023 through spring 2024. All tuition and fee charges are subject to the approval of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and may change without notice.

Tuition and Fee Rates for Master of Environmental Studies courses

Summer 2023 Tuition and Fee Rates

Tuition (per c.u.) General Fee (per semester)*
$6,448 $474

Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 Tuition and Fee Rates

Course Units Tuition General Fee* Program Fee Clinical Fee Total
1 $6,448 $474 $150 N/A $7,072
2 $12,896 $948 $150 N/A $13,994
3 $19,344 $1,901 $150 $344 $21,739
4 $25,792 $1,901 $150 $344 $28,187

*Please note that the general fee is charged per semester in summer and per c.u. in fall/spring.

Fee definitions

  • General fee: A General Fee is assessed to all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, and directly funds Penn's non-instructional student support services. The General Fee for full-time students provides them with full access to a wide variety of services and resources, including counseling and wellness, multicultural resource centers, student activities, recreation and fitness, career services, learning support, and much more.
  • Clinical fee: This mandatory fee is assessed to all students and supports Penn Wellness services, including Campus Health, Counseling and Psychological Services, the Student Health Service, and the Office of Alcohol and Other Drug Programs.

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.

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Student & alumni stories

"There is a lot of overlap between what I do now and what I studied at Penn. Our professors wanted us to be equipped for real work, which I appreciate.”
- Gee Paegar, MES ’18