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Cost & financial aid brief

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# California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt cost after financial aid?

California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt lists a published cost of attendance of $25,170. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,838 and required fees of $2,378 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $6,714.

Out-of-state tuition was $19,946. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,171.

That is $897 below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Grants and scholarships lower the published cost by $11,999 for the average aid recipient.

Azimuth ranks the university #194 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 86th percentile.

Affordability is where California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt stands out most: Azimuth places the university in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $13,171, which is below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $897.

Median federal student debt among completers who borrowed is $18,000, also below the peer median of $21,229 by $3,229. Across the income scale, average net prices range from $8,483 for families earning under $30,000 to $22,228 for families earning over $110,000, representing a spread of $13,745.

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 $8,483; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $8,812; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $11,088; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $15,593; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $22,228.

Pell Grant recipients make up 42.9% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,745.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$8,483

**$30–48K**
$8,812

**$48–75K**
$11,088

**$75–110K**
$15,593

**$110K+**
$22,228

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$13,171**. 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/) at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is $13,171, which sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $897. Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $11,999 against the sticker total.

Across income bands, the average net price starts at $8,483 for families earning under $30,000, moves to $8,812 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $11,088 for $48,001–$75,000, $15,593 for $75,001–$110,000, and reaches $22,228 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,745.

The lowest-band net price sits well below the overall average, a pattern that coincides with the largest discounts flowing to families with lower incomes. The university's affordability rank of #194 among nonprofit four-year institutions reflects this structure, where aid keeps costs below the typical peer across most income levels.

The published cost of attendance is $25,170. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt #194 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 $8,483, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,088, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $22,228. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,745.

Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $13,171, which is $897 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $18,000 in federal student loans. That is $3,229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions.

78.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $18,257.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $205 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt but the amounts stay moderate. About 78.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and among federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree the median debt is $18,000.

That median is $3,229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $18,257.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 53% of a 461-graduate bachelor's cohort borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $23,238 per borrower. Of all graduates, 52% held federal loans, averaging $22,047 per federal borrower.

The earnings picture at California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt is anchored by a median of $51,571 four years after completion. That figure sits below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions, which share the same type and size.

That median lands in the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $507 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, a result in the 57th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $51,571, with a downside scenario of $40,093 and an upside scenario of $65,121. Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $18,000, which is below the $21,229 peer median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $205 a month if repaid over ten years. The return picture is mixed: earnings are near the model's expectation but trail the peer median, while the debt load is lighter than what comparable institutions carry.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $18,257. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $205.

[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**
$18,257

**Estimated parent payment**
$232/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $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**
$18,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$18,257

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$205/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$232/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$437/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 $51,571, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**8.5%** 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=california-state-polytechnic-university-humboldt#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.