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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Bradley University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Bradley University cost after financial aid?

Bradley University publishes a cost of attendance of $54,730, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $42,160, and room and board are $13,500.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $22,719, a savings of $32,011 against the sticker price. That average net price sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,652.

For families in the lowest income band, the average net price drops to $17,269, and aid covers about 58% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Azimuth ranks the university #1,050 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

A lower net price than peers and a substantial aid offset point the same way, though the affordability rank remains the university's weakest pillar.

For aid recipients, the average cost after grants and scholarships at Bradley University is $22,719, which is below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,652. The affordability pillar is in the 26th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who finish leave with median federal debt of $27,000, which is above the peer median by $2,801. By income band, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s are $17,269 for families earning under $30,000 and $30,008 for those earning over $110,000.

Below-peer cost alongside above-peer borrowing leaves the affordability picture mixed.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $17,269; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $16,539; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $18,609; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $22,954; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $30,008.

Pell Grant recipients make up 31.6% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,739.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$17,269

**$30–48K**
$16,539

**$48–75K**
$18,609

**$75–110K**
$22,954

**$110K+**
$30,008

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$22,719**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for first-time full-time aid recipients is $22,719, which means aid covers about 58% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The pattern across income bands shows the largest discounts flowing to families with lower incomes.

Families earning under $30,000 average $17,269, while those in the $30,001–$48,000 band average $16,539, the $48,001–$75,000 band $18,609, the $75,001–$110,000 band $22,954, and families earning over $110,000 average $30,008. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,739, a difference of averages that coincides with an aid model that concentrates grant support on those with the greatest need.

Bradley University publishes a cost of attendance of $54,730, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $42,160, and room and board are $13,500.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—varies by family income. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $17,269; for the middle band ($48,001–$75,000), it is $18,609; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $30,008.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,739. Azimuth ranks the university #1,050 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 58% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $32,011 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $22,719, which sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,652.

That gap means the typical aid package at Bradley leaves a lower out-of-pocket cost than the middle value at similar private universities. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $27,000, with 95.9% of federal aid recipients borrowing.

That debt is above the peer median of $24,199 by $2,801. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $307.

Parents who borrow through the federal [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program carry a separate median of $41,405.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

At Bradley University, completing federal-loan borrowers have median federal student loan debt of $27,000, which is $2,801 above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $41,405.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 69% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $35,728 per borrower. That borrowing included federal loans for 68% of graduates, averaging $24,541. It also included private loans for 17% of graduates, averaging $45,084.

Graduates of Bradley University earn about $7,296 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 77th percentile nationally. The median earnings four years after completion reach $74,150, which lands in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That figure is above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,900. Earnings scenarios, anchored on the university's program mix, show a typical earnings level of $74,150, with a downside scenario of $50,450 and an upside scenario of $95,215.

The median federal student debt at completion is $27,000, which is above the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $41,405. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $307.

[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**
$41,405

**Estimated parent payment**
$526/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 | 31.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 13.9% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 6.6% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 4.3% | 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=bradley-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**
$27,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$41,405

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$307/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$526/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$833/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 $74,150, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.3%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
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=bradley-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.