The total cost of attending Wharton grew from $118,568 in 2022–23 to $132,224 in 2025–26, representing an overall increase of $13,656 or 11.52%.
The most notable cost jumps came from university fees and room and board, with tuition and health insurance also contributing to the overall rise.
Before we dive into the inflation trends at Wharton, let us look at the general inflation trends in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.
2021 (Similar to the National Average): The 4.3% average inflation rate reflected significant increases in energy (approximately 20% for the year), transportation (around 10%), and food (around 5%) while rent (3.2 to 3.5%) was lower than the national average of 3.3 to 3.5%.
2022 (highest): Inflation reached its highest level in June 2022 at 8.8%, driven by volatile energy prices (increasing by 46%) and transportation costs, triggered by global events like the Russia-Ukraine conflict while rent increased by 7.5 to 9.1% higher than the national average of 6.7%
2023 Drop: Inflation falling to 3.0% by June 2023 reflected easing energy and transportation costs, though housing continued to be the biggest contributor, with inflation in the range of 5 to 6%, compared to the national average of 6.5-7%.
2024-25 Stablization in Food and Energy Bills. Housing Still Costly: Inflation stabilized to 2.9% in 2024 and around 3.1% in early 2025, with rent continuing to be the largest contributor to inflation falling between 4.5% to 5.5%, slightly below the national level of 5.2 to 5.4%
4-year Inflation (Approximate Calculation): 19%
4-year Housing Inflation (Approximate Calculation): 20.2%-25.1%
Tuition Fee Inflation – Low at 6.15% (4-year)
Tuition rose from $82,874 in 2022–23 to $85,370 in 2023–24, reflecting a modest 3.01% increase. Interestingly, there was a slight dip in 2024–25 to $84,830 (a 0.63% decrease), followed by a jump to $87,970 in 2025–26, a 3.7% increase. Over the four years, tuition saw an overall rise of $5,096, or approximately 6.15%.
University Fee Inflation – High at 133.5% (4-year)
University fees remained unchanged at $2,000 for both 2022–23 and 2023–24 but then saw a sharp increase to $4,670 in 2024–25, which remained steady through 2025–26. This represented a dramatic 133.5% total increase over the four-year period.
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Room and Board Inflation – High at 23.74% (4-year)
Room and board costs saw consistent year-on-year growth: from $22,887 in 2022–23 to $26,028 in 2023–24 (13.7%), $27,632 in 2024–25 (6.17%), and $28,320 in 2025–26 (2.49%). The overall rise was $5,433, or 23.74%, indicating a significant increase in housing-related expenses.
The 23.74% inflation falls right in the middle of the 20-25% we witnessed in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area.
Books, Supplies and Miscellaneous Costs – Dropped by 2.6% (4-year)
Books, supplies, and miscellaneous costs fluctuated slightly. Starting at $6,778 in 2022–23, the cost decreased to $6,868 in 2023–24 (a 1.33% increase), then dropped to $6,172 in 2024–25 (a 10.13% decrease), before rising again to $6,602 in 2025–26 (6.96%). Over four years, this category declined slightly by $176, a total drop of about 2.6%.
Health insurance Inflation – High (15.71%) (4-year)
Health insurance costs rose steadily each year, from $4,029 in 2022–23 to $4,210 in 2023–24 (4.49%), $4,412 in 2024–25 (4.8%), and $4,662 in 2025–26 (5.66%). This reflects a total increase of $633, or 15.71%, over the entire period.
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| Expenses | Wharton MBA 2025-26 | Wharton MBA 2024-25 | Wharton MBA 2023-23 | Wharton MBA 2022-23 |
| Tuition and Fees | $87,970 | $84,830 | $85,370 | $82,874 |
| University Fees | $4,670 | $4,670 | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Room and Board | $28,320 | $27,632 | $26,028 | $22,887 |
| Books, Supplies, Misc. | $6,602 | $6,172 | $6,868 | $6,778 |
| Health Insurance* | $4,662 | $4,412 | $4,210 | $4,029 |
| Total | $132,224 | $127,716 | $124,476 | $118,568 |
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