Students entering Carnegie Mellon University in the fall will pay 8 percent more than current freshmen under a tiered price system approved yesterday that will also boost tuition for other undergraduates by 4.4 percent.

The university defended the increases, approved by trustees yesterday, as necessary to maintain and enhance academic programs. The new rates were accompanied by room and board increases of 4.9 and 2.8 percent, respectively.

The board of trustees vote means that fall 2006 freshmen will pay $34,180 for tuition annually, an increase of $2,530, according to university data. Sophomores, juniors and seniors will see their rate rise to $33,050, up by $1,400; fifth-year students will pay $32,560, or $1,375 additional.

When tuition, room, board and fees are combined, the new overall annual cost to attend Carnegie Mellon will range, depending on year of entry, from $43,858 to $42,238.

Officials said the tiered system, used since last decade by the school, places a greater financial burden on a subset of students who -- because they have not yet enrolled -- are more easily able to rethink their plans based on price.

"If our tuition is what it is, and it's too high, then obviously, they have ample time to decide to go someplace else," said William Elliott, vice president for enrollment.

Carnegie Mellon officials said they are planning to increase the school's financial aid budget.

Still, if past years are an indicator, students are liable to cringe at the thought of paying more on a campus where the total bill already exceeded $40,000.

Sophomore Christina Milo, 19, of Irvington, N.Y., was of two minds.

On the one hand, she said, Carnegie Mellon is a prestigious campus, and the increase will likely position the school to better invest in various offerings. Still, she added, as she contemplated the idea of yet another increase, "It's pretty high."

"Compared to a lot of my friends back home who go to other schools, it's certainly one of the most expensive," she said.

Dr. Elliott estimated that the new prices would put Carnegie Mellon "in the middle of the pack" relative to institutions it competes with for students, among them California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University and Northwestern University.

The new rates collectively will cover some 5,400 undergraduates across Carnegie Mellon, including 1,360 freshmen, he said.

Yesterday's trustees vote means that 2006 room costs for all students will increase 4.9 percent to $5,440. Board will increase by 2.8 percent to $3,800, the university said.