DLSU Tuition Fee Guide: What De La Salle University Really Costs

TL;DR: De La Salle University Manila publishes its own Projected Tuition and Fees for Incoming First-Year College Students for AY 2026-2027, and it puts average Term 1 tuition and fees between ₱74,000 (College of Education) and ₱96,000 (School of Law), with ₱95,000 for the College of Science. Across DLSU's three-trimester calendar that implies roughly ₱222,000 to ₱288,000 a year before scholarships. The underlying rate is ₱4,175 per unit for every college except Education, which is ₱3,500. DLSU confirmed no tuition increase for AY 2026-2027, and its own schedules bear that out: the AY 2026-2027 per-college figures are identical to AY 2025-2026, college for college. Full scholarships exist, including Star Scholars, which waives 100% of tuition, miscellaneous and lab fees and adds an ₱18,000 monthly stipend.

If you're searching "de la salle university tuition fee" or "lasalle tuition fee," you're likely trying to budget for one of the Philippines' most recognizable private universities. This guide focuses specifically on De La Salle University Manila — what it actually charges per trimester and per year, what other fees show up on the bill, which scholarships are worth applying for, and how DLSU Manila differs from other Lasallian schools that share its name. If you want the direct Ateneo-versus-La Salle comparison instead, that's covered separately in our Ateneo vs La Salle tuition guide; this post goes deeper on DLSU alone.

How Much Is DLSU Tuition Per Trimester? The Official Figures

DLSU publishes a one-page Projected Tuition and Fees for Incoming First-Year College Students each year through its Office of Admissions and Scholarships. The AY 2026-2027 sheet covers Term 1 of Academic Year 2026-2027, the September 2026 intake (ID126), and gives an average tuition-and-fees figure per college.

DLSU's own note on the sheet: "The assessment fee is subject to adjustment based on changes to the student's academic load, including additions or deletions of laboratory courses, as well as Foundation and Advanced Placement exemptions."

DLSU runs a three-trimester academic calendar rather than the two-semester system used by schools like Ateneo, so students face this bill three times a year rather than twice. On the college averages above, a full year lands roughly between ₱222,000 and ₱288,000 for undergraduate programmes, before scholarships and before any variation in your own load.

DLSU Tuition Per Unit: How the Bill Is Actually Built

The per-college averages are a planning figure. What DLSU actually charges is per unit, and the university's Registrar publishes the full Schedule of Tuition and Fees for Undergraduate Studies. The AY 2025-2026 schedule gives:

The per-unit rate is printed identically across student ID batches ID125 down to "ID 121 and below", so it does not step up as you progress through the programme; your bill moves because your load moves.

On top of the per-unit tuition, the same schedule lists recurring miscellaneous fees, charged every term:

and one-off new student fees that only appear in your first term: Matriculation ₱2,385, Adolescent Personality Assessment ₱1,700, Orientation ₱1,320, ID Card ₱600, and Social Formation and Engagement ₱110.

Then come the laboratory charges, which are the main reason Science and Engineering sit at the top of the college table. The schedule prices them individually, for example ₱3,890 per unit for engineering laboratories and science laboratories, ₱2,530 per unit for GE Natural Science laboratories, ₱4,130 for the CCS open computer lab, and ₱6,360 per unit for molecular biology and microbiological research laboratories.

A caution on doing this arithmetic yourself. Multiplying ₱4,175 by an 18-unit load and adding the miscellaneous block will not reproduce the college averages in the table above, because those averages reflect DLSU's own projection of a typical first-term load, including exemptions and the specific mix of lecture and laboratory courses in each programme. Use the per-unit schedule to understand why your bill moves and the college averages to set a budget, and use DLSU's own tuition calculator to get a figure for your actual enrolment.

Disclaimer: tuition and fees change by school year, programme and unit load, and the per-unit schedule cited here is the AY 2025-2026 undergraduate schedule while the college averages are the AY 2026-2027 projection. Contact the Office of Admissions and Scholarships for the exact current figure for your intended programme.

DLSU Tuition Per Year: The Full Math

Because DLSU bills three times a year rather than twice, the annual total matters more than any single trimester's bill. Rolling the official Term 1 college averages across three trimesters:

The implied-year column is a straight multiplication of DLSU's published Term 1 average and is not itself published by DLSU. Later terms drop the one-off new-student fees and shift with your load, so treat it as an upper-ish planning figure rather than a quote. Multiplying by three rather than two is the single most common budgeting mistake families make with DLSU.

Flat Rate or Per Unit — Which Applies to You?

DLSU tuition is effectively calculated per unit, then billed as a total based on your enrolled load for the trimester — it is not a single flat annual fee like some private high schools charge. Practically, this means:

• Full-load students (typically 18-21 units) pay close to the standard per-trimester range shown above.
• Students carrying extra or fewer units (overloads, thesis-only terms, or reduced loads) pay proportionally more or less than the standard figure — a useful thing to know if you're finishing on a lighter courseload.
• Laboratory-heavy programs add fees on top of the base per-unit tuition, which is why engineering and science programs tend to land at the higher end of DLSU's published ranges.

Because the per-unit math compounds differently for every program and year level, DLSU's own online tuition calculator is the most reliable way to get a number specific to your situation rather than relying on a published range.

What Other Fees Should You Expect?

Beyond the headline tuition-and-fees figure, budget for a few recurring costs common to DLSU and most Metro Manila private universities:

• Books and course materials, which run higher for science, engineering, and design programs that require specialized texts or software licenses.
• Organization dues and activity fees, common across Philippine universities and typically minor relative to tuition.
• Transportation or housing near Taft Avenue, given Metro Manila traffic and the campus's central Manila location — some students opt for nearby housing to cut commute time.
• Application and admission-related fees, separate from tuition, charged during the application process itself.

None of these individually rival tuition, but together they can add a meaningful amount to the true cost of a DLSU education each year.

Is DLSU Expensive? Where It Sits Among Philippine Universities

Yes, DLSU is expensive relative to the national average, though it is not the most expensive school in the country. At roughly ₱222,000–₱285,000 a year on its own published Term 1 college averages, DLSU sits comfortably in the premium private university tier — well above mid-range schools like FEU or UST for many programs, roughly on par with Ateneo de Manila, and well below narrow specialist schools like Enderun Colleges, whose undergraduate tuition starts closer to ₱600,000 per year. The price reflects a mix of factors common to top-tier Philippine private universities: highly credentialed faculty, extensive laboratory and library facilities, a large Taft Avenue campus in the heart of Manila, active research output, and a large, well-connected alumni network across business, engineering, and law. None of these cost drivers are unique to DLSU — La Salle, Ateneo, and UST largely share them — which is why DLSU's price sits close to, rather than dramatically apart from, its closest private-university peers.

Did DLSU Raise Tuition for 2026-2027?

No. DLSU announced in February 2026 that there would be no tuition fee increase for academic year 2026-2027, a decision made after consulting students, parents, and faculty about their preferred learning modalities. DLSU President Br. Bernard Oca FSC said the university's approach is about "creating room for flexibility and collaboration, ensuring that learning is not disrupted," while also expanding in-person classes for the coming year.

DLSU's own paperwork backs the announcement up. Put the Projected Tuition and Fees for Incoming First-Year College Students for AY 2026-2027 next to the AY 2025-2026 version and the per-college averages are identical, line for line: ₱82,000 for Computer Studies, ₱74,000 for Education, ₱81,000 for Liberal Arts, ₱86,000 for Business, ₱88,000 for Engineering, ₱95,000 for Science, ₱93,000 for Economics and ₱96,000 for Law in both years. That is unusually clean evidence for a freeze, and it is worth checking again for AY 2027-2028, since a hold in one year says nothing about the next. Programme-specific laboratory fees can still shift your own bill even in a freeze year.

DLSU Scholarships and Financial Aid

DLSU runs some of the more generous named scholarship programs among Philippine private universities, which can meaningfully change the real cost of attendance for qualified students.

Beyond these flagship programs, DLSU also administers additional internal scholarships and grants coordinated through its Office of Admissions and Scholarships — worth a direct inquiry if you don't qualify for Star Scholars or Archer Achievers but still need financial support.

DLSU System: Manila, Laguna, and the Wider Lasallian Network

De La Salle University itself operates from its main Manila campus on Taft Avenue, plus a Laguna campus in Biñan that became part of the university in 2012. These are genuinely DLSU — same admissions system, same degree-granting institution.

Where people get confused is the wider De La Salle Philippines (DLSP) network, a group of Lasallian schools that share the "De La Salle" name but are independently run institutions, each with its own admissions office, tuition schedule, and accreditation — not branches of DLSU Manila. This includes schools like De La Salle University Dasmariñas, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, De La Salle Araneta University, De La Salle Lipa, and De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute. If you're comparing tuition, always confirm which specific Lasallian institution's fee schedule you're looking at — DLSU Manila's rates do not automatically apply to these sister schools.

DLSU vs Ateneo vs Other Premium Schools

For quick context on where DLSU sits price-wise, here's how it compares to other schools frequently searched alongside it.

Ranges are broad estimates for typical undergraduate programs and vary by course and year. For the full head-to-head against Ateneo specifically, including the semester-vs-trimester calendar quirk that makes single-term comparisons misleading, see our Ateneo vs La Salle tuition comparison. For the wider price spectrum across Philippine universities, see cheapest vs most expensive universities and the ranked list of the most expensive universities.

How to Budget for DLSU

If DLSU is on your shortlist, a few practical steps help you plan realistically:

• Run the official tuition calculator for your specific program before applying — published ranges are a starting point, not a quote.
• Apply for Star Scholars or Archer Achievers early if you're a strong academic candidate; both can eliminate tuition entirely.
• Multiply by three trimesters, not two semesters, when estimating your annual cost — this is the single most common budgeting mistake families make with DLSU.
• Add a buffer of ₱20,000–₱40,000 per year for books, dues, and incidental fees beyond the tuition-and-fees figure.
• Compare against Manila-area alternatives if budget is tight; explore other schools in Manila to see the full range of options in the city.

Ready to find the right school? Browse schools or compare tuition and reviews across hundreds of Philippine schools on SchoolFinderPH.

Sources

• De La Salle University — Tuition Calculator (official)
• De La Salle University Office of Admissions and Scholarships — Projected Tuition and Fees of Incoming First-Year College for AY 2026-2027 (official PDF)
• De La Salle University Office of Admissions and Scholarships — Projected Tuition and Fees of Incoming First-Year College for AY 2025-2026 (official PDF)
• De La Salle University Registrar — Schedule of Tuition and Fees for AY 2025-2026, Undergraduate Studies (official PDF)
• De La Salle University Registrar — Projected Tuition and Fees index (official)
• De La Salle University — Star Scholars Program (official)
• Journal Online — DLSU Implements No Tuition Hike, More In-Person Classes for AY 26-27
• PhilSTAR Life — Tuition fees in top PH universities for A.Y. 2026-2027
• HomeCredit PH — Tuition Fees in the Philippines: Top Colleges and Universities in Manila
• De La Salle Philippines — DLSP Schools (official)
• Moneymax — Most Expensive Schools in Metro Manila