Cost & financial aid brief
California State University-San Bernardino Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does CSUSB cost after financial aid?
The lowest-income families see the largest discounts. The average net price for families earning under $30,000 is $2,681, nearly identical to the $2,680 average for the $30,001–$48,000 band.
The figure moves to $4,735 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, $7,745 for $75,001–$110,000, and $14,316 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,635, a difference of averages that shows the bottom two bands receive the steepest discounts.
Across all aid recipients the average net price is $4,564, which means aid covers about 74% of the published cost. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 5 first-year students received merit aid, with an average award of $11,738.
The published cost of attendance at California State University-San Bernardino is $17,427. Azimuth ranks the university #36 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 $2,681, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $4,735, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $14,316. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,635.
Aid covers about 74% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $4,564, which is $11,070 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $14,715 in federal student loans. That is $5,361 below the $20,076 peer median.
About 46.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $12,000 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $167 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowers who complete a degree at California State University-San Bernardino leave with a median of $14,715 in federal student loans. That median is $5,361 below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
46.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $12,000.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 35% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $17,857 per borrower. Federal loans accounted for most of that, with 35% of graduates holding federal debt at an average of $17,527.
Four years after completion, federally aided completers from California State University-San Bernardino show median earnings of $55,441, placing the university in the 35th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $10,169.
Graduates earn about $8,919 more than expects for similar students, a result in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix anchors three earnings scenarios: a typical figure of $55,441, a downside of $44,540, and an upside of $68,882.
The median federal student debt at completion is $14,715, which is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,361. The estimated monthly payment on that debt is $167.
Parent borrowers at the university took on a median of $12,000 in Parent PLUS loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly payment on the median federal student debt if repaid over ten years is $167.
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
- $12,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $152/mo
| 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.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $14,715
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $12,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $167/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $152/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $319/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 $55,441, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.1% 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.