Tuition and mandatory fees at Boston University for the 2015–2016 academic year have been set at $48,436, and basic room and board at $14,520, an overall increase of 3.7 percent. The rise, determined by the Board of Trustees, breaks down to a 3.8 percent increase in tuition and a 3.5 increase in basic room and board. BU’s tuition increases have averaged 3.8 percent over the past five years.

“We acknowledge the very substantial financial investments made by parents and students,” President Robert A. Brown wrote in a letter sent to BU students and parents March 13. “We remain committed to our mission of high-quality education and will continue to address the challenges of balancing quality and cost that go with this commitment.”

Brown noted in his letter that BU’s five-year average increase is one of the lowest among peer universities. By comparison, tuition and fees will increase 4 percent at Georgetown and the University of South Carolina next year, and 3.9 percent at Yale.

The University, he wrote, has expanded its capacity to offer financial assistance to students and anticipates that just over half of all undergrads (52 percent) will receive more than $206 million in financial aid from the school next year.

“While we work continually to enhance quality, we also are focused on controlling expenses, especially in areas outside classrooms and laboratories,” the president wrote, adding that the University is seeking efficiencies through “improved business processes and controls and streamlining and consolidation of support services.” He said the majority of the University’s increase in expenses is attributable to competitive rises in salaries, the cost of employee benefits, and the cost of natural gas, “which has remained high in New England, even as oil prices have fallen.”

In closing, Brown pledged that the University “will continue to address the challenges of balancing quality and cost” as it remains committed to its mission of providing high-quality education.