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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Austin Peay State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Austin Peay State University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at Austin Peay State University is $22,233. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,028 and required fees of $1,824 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $12,420.

Out-of-state students face tuition of $13,788. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $9,735, a reduction of $12,498 from the sticker price.

That average is $4,333 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #144 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #144 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the pillar in the 90th percentile.

Aid recipients pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $9,735, $4,333 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who complete is $20,547.

That amount is $682 below the peer median. For the lowest income band, the average net price is $7,588. For the highest income band, it is $15,078.

43.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $7,588 for families earning under $30,000; $8,768 for the $30,001–$48,000 band; $10,077 for $48,001–$75,000; $13,537 for $75,001–$110,000; and $15,078 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,490.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$7,588

**$30–48K**
$8,768

**$48–75K**
$10,077

**$75–110K**
$13,537

**$110K+**
$15,078

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$9,735**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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 price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/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 $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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#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**
$14,710

**Estimated parent payment**
$187/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=austin-peay-state-university#parent-tool). [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**
$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

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, $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.

[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=austin-peay-state-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.