Cost & financial aid brief
Austin Peay State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Austin Peay State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $12,498 from the sticker price. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, pointing to aid that is concentrated toward families with the greatest need.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 1,307 first-year students received merit awards averaging $3,249.
The published cost of attendance is $22,233. Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #144 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $7,588, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $10,077, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $15,078. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,490.
Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $9,735, which is $4,333 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,547 in federal student loans, $682 below the $21,229 peer median. About 75.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,710 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $234 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
75.2% of federal aid recipients at Austin Peay State University take federal loans. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $20,547 in federal debt.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, so this university's median is $682 below it. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,710.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 47% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative debt of $10,850 per borrower. 46% of graduates held federal loans averaging $10,301, including some with private debt too. A smaller share of graduates, 3%, held private loans averaging $10,042.
Graduates of Austin Peay State University earn about $2,287 less than expects for similar students. That result is at the 47th percentile.
The median wage four years after completion is $52,456 among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That earnings level sits in the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $52,456. The downside earnings scenario is $41,712 and the upside scenario is $75,537.
Borrowers who complete owe a median of $20,547 in federal student loans. That figure is $682 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $234. The return picture is mixed: earnings trail the model's prediction while debt stays below the peer median.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $14,710. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $234 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $14,710
- Estimated parent payment
- $187/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 11.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 4.9% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.5% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $20,547
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $14,710
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $234/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $187/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $421/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 $52,456, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
9.8% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- 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, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 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.
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.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.
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.
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.