Cost & financial aid brief
Cal Poly Maritime Academy Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Cal Poly Maritime Academy cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving a sticker-to-net gap of $9,298. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at the bottom of the scale, though the middle bands do not follow a straight line.
The lowest band averages $13,552, while the $30,001–$48,000 band dips to $9,768 before costs increase again through the higher bands. The $11,359 spread between the ends describes a structure where aid narrows the gap but does not flatten it.
A family's actual package will depend on its specific circumstances, not just its income band.
The published cost of attendance at Cal Poly Maritime Academy is $29,853. Azimuth ranks the university #896 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 $13,552, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $16,948, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $24,911. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,359.
Aid covers about 31% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $20,555, which is $7,733 above the $12,822 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $24,965 in federal student loans. That is $5,465 above the $19,500 median for comparable institutions.
91.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $38,432 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Most undergraduates at Cal Poly Maritime Academy borrow: 91.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student debt is $24,965.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $19,500, so the school's median runs $5,465 above it. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $38,432.
Four years after completing a degree, graduates earn a median of $108,757, a figure that places Cal Poly Maritime Academy at the 98th percentile nationally. That is $55,641 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $37,803 more than expects for similar students. The gap sits at the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a range: a downside scenario of $69,450 and an upside of $126,355, with the typical scenario at $108,757. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,965 in federal student loans, $5,465 above the peer median.
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $38,432. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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
- $38,432
- Estimated parent payment
- $488/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $24,965
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $38,432
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $284/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $488/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $772/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 $108,757, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
4.0% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- 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, $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.
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.