I remember when Sewanee did something similar several years ago. They decided that it was not doing anyone any favors by playing the high-sticker-price, lower-actual-price game that most private schools play. They just started charging less.
It looks like Mills is doing something similar.
They are cutting tuition by 36%, from $44K to $28K per year in 2018.
https://www.mills.edu/tuition-reduction/index.php
It’s worth saying that I know a young woman currently at Mills and she is having a great experience. The cross reg with other nearby schools has made for an interesting time for her, including taking classes at Berkeley, and working on her studio art at an arts institute.