NEW YORK (AP) – The Metropolitan Museum of Art is raising its admission fee to $20, matching what another venerable New York art institution, the Museum of Modern Art, already charges. The fees make the two museums some of the most expensive to visit in the world.

The difference between the two museum’s fees is that the Met’s is only recommended, while MoMa’s is compulsory. The Met’s new admission, up from its current $15, goes into effect Aug. 1.

The Met’s price increase will not affect students or seniors, whose suggested donation will remain at $10. Children under 12 and members pay no fee.

The Met said ongoing deficits made the increase necessary. For the fiscal year ending June 30, the deficit was $3.5 million.

MoMa’s $12 fee went to $20 in 2004 after the museum reopened following a $425 million expansion. Admission to MoMa is free on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., and visitors 16 and under are always fee.

The Brooklyn Museum, which charges only $8, remains one of the best bargains among the city’s large museums. The Solomon R. Guggenheim charges $18 and the Whitney Museum of American Art, $15.

Elsewhere in the country, the Art Institute of Chicago charges $12 and the Smithsonian Institutions museums in Washington and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles are free.