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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Abilene Christian University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/abilene-christian-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/abilene-christian-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/abilene-christian-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/abilene-christian-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/abilene-christian-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Abilene Christian University cost after financial aid?

Attending Abilene Christian University carries a published cost of attendance of $59,256. Tuition and fees run $44,200, and room and board add another $14,540.

At the university, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) comes to $26,182, $1,189 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Grants and scholarships cover about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, cutting the sticker price by $33,074.

Azimuth ranks the university #1,036 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 27th percentile.

Abilene Christian University lists a published cost of attendance of $59,256, and aid covers about 56% of that amount for the average aid recipient. For affordability, Azimuth places the university in the 27th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) reflects what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Aid recipients here pay $26,182 on average.

That amount sits $1,189 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish hold a median of $24,250 in federal loans, $51 above the peer median.

Aid recipients in the lowest income band pay $20,285 on average, and those in the highest band pay $31,763.

For families earning under $30,000, it is $20,285; for those earning $30,001–$48,000, it is $21,150; for $48,001–$75,000, it is $23,012; for $75,001–$110,000, it is $27,576; and for those earning over $110,000, it is $31,763. 22.3% of undergraduates across the institution's federal-aid reporting units receive Pell Grants, providing context for who the lowest band applies to. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,478.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$20,285

**$30–48K**
$21,150

**$48–75K**
$23,012

**$75–110K**
$27,576

**$110K+**
$31,763

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$26,182**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The published cost of attendance is $59,256. Grants and scholarships lower the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) to $26,182, a savings of $33,074 for the average aid recipient.

Aid covers about 56% of the published cost. The average net price moves upward across income bands, from $20,285 for the lowest band to $31,763 for the highest.

The $11,478 spread between the two ends shows that aid narrows the gap but does not flatten it.

The published cost of attendance at Abilene Christian University is $59,256. Azimuth ranks the university #1,036 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $20,285, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $23,012, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $31,763. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,478.

Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $26,182, which is $1,189 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $24,250 in federal student loans. That is $51 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $26,542 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Borrowers who complete a degree at Abilene Christian University leave with a median of $24,250 in federal student loans. 91.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federally.

That median sits $51 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $26,542.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,305, at the 48th percentile nationally. That figure is $8,945 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $7,697 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 26th percentile.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from Abilene Christian University's program mix, range from $49,830 on the downside to $87,672 on the upside. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,250 in federal loans, which is $51 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $26,542. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$26,542

**Estimated parent payment**
$337/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$24,250

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$26,542

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$276/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$337/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$613/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $59,305, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**9.0%** of income above the allowance · Good

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=abilene-christian-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.