Limestone College approved a 5 percent increase in tuition for the 2010-2011 academic year. This chart shows tuition and room and board fees charged by private colleges in South Carolina during the most recent academic year. Limestone College students will spend more than $25,000 to attend classes and live on campus this year.

The college’s Board of Trustees approved a 5 percent tuition increase for full-time day students. This amounts to a $1,100 hike in college expenses for Limestone students during the 2010- 2011 academic year.

Tuition will increase from $18,300 in 2009 to $19,000 this academic year. Room and board will increase slightly from $6,800 to $7,000.

Limestone charges the same amount in tuition for in-state and out-of-state students. This year’s total cost is $26,200.

Despite the rise in tuition, Limestone College remains one of the least-expensive private colleges in the state. Wofford College charged $30,280 for tuition this past academic year while Newberry College tuition was $21,470.

Limestone has increased tuition an average of 5 percent over the past several years. College president Dr. Walt Griffin said the modest tuition costs have resulted from the increased operating expenses with its recent enrollment growth and the need to keep qualified faculty for its 20 academic majors.

“We are continuing to see very good growth in our enrollment,” Griffin said. “Our preliminary numbers for this fall show we will have 330 new students. This would put our enrollment in the 825 to 850 student range this fall.”

Limestone had 805 students enrolled in its day program last year. This fall’s enrollment will be impacted by a new health care administration degree being offered online through the college’s Extended Campus Internet program.

A new residential hall is under construction beside McMillan Hall. It will provide student housing for 96 men and women when it opens in January.

Griffin does see an ideal enrollment figure for Limestone College in the future.

“Ultimately, we would like to have an enrollment of 1,200 students,” Griffin said. “This would give us three to four professors in all our academic disciplines.”