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Cost & financial aid brief

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# California State University-Fresno Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated September 28, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Fresno State cost after financial aid?

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients at California State University-Fresno is $7,000, which runs below the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,634. That net price represents a savings of $13,095 against the published cost of attendance of $20,095.

The published cost includes in-state tuition of $7,350 and room and board of $11,960. Out-of-state students see a higher tuition figure of $19,950.

Azimuth ranks the university #50 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For aid recipients at California State University-Fresno, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $7,000, which runs below the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,634. The spread across income bands is $11,794, with averages ranging from $5,105 for families earning under $30,000 to $16,899 for families earning over $110,000.

Median federal student debt among completers who borrowed is $14,505, below the peer median of $20,076 by $5,571. Azimuth ranks the affordability pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

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 $5,105; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $5,429; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $7,196; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $10,291; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $16,899.

Pell Grant recipients make up 57.0% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,794.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$5,105

**$30–48K**
$5,429

**$48–75K**
$7,196

**$75–110K**
$10,291

**$110K+**
$16,899

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$7,000**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 65% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, but the pattern across income bands shows the university's pricing is progressive. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s range from $5,105 for families earning under $30,000 to $16,899 for those earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,794, and the middle bands sit at $5,429, $7,196, and $10,291. That spread is a difference of averages, not what any family pays.

California State University-Fresno publishes a cost of attendance of $20,095, with in-state tuition at $7,350 and room and board at $11,960. For aid recipients from families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $5,105, and for those in the $30,001–$48,000 band it is $5,429.

Aid recipients from families earning $48,001–$75,000 see an average net price of $7,196, while the figure is $10,291 for the $75,001–$110,000 band and $16,899 for families earning over $110,000. Azimuth ranks the university #50 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Financial aid savings offset the sticker price by $13,095, bringing the average net price for first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients to $7,000. That average net price runs below the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,634.

In-state tuition is $7,350, and out-of-state students pay $19,950. The median federal student debt at completion is $14,505.

About 41.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median debt is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,571.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $12,050. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for the median federal debt is $165.

For personalized scenarios that include Parent PLUS, see the [Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Among undergraduates at California State University-Fresno, 41.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For those who borrow and complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $14,505.

That median is below the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $5,571. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $12,050.

The median earnings for California State University-Fresno graduates four years after completion are $59,992, placing the public university in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,537 more than the model expects for similar students.

That performance ranks in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth models three earnings scenarios drawn from the program mix: a typical outcome of $59,992, a downside scenario of $46,584, and an upside scenario of $79,698.

Borrowers who complete leave with a median federal student debt of $14,505, a level below the $20,076 median observed for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the monthly payment is $165.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $12,050. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $165.

For a personalized family cost analysis, use the [Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$14,505

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$165/mo

Student and parent loans are separate debts. Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $59,992, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.3%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8%**▲**
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, $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.

[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**
$12,050

**Estimated parent payment**
$153/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $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**
$14,505

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$12,050

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$165/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$153/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$318/mo

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $59,992, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.3%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8%**▲**
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, $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.

## Data & methodology

A missing figure does not mean zero. 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.