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Cost & financial aid brief

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# California State University-San Bernardino Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does CSUSB cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at California State University-San Bernardino is $17,427, and the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $4,564. That is $11,070 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported sticker charges for the 2026-27 academic year. In-state tuition was $6,450, required fees were $2,122, and on-campus food and housing was $16,180.

Out-of-state tuition was listed at $11,778. Azimuth ranks the university #36 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

California State University-San Bernardino posts an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $4,564 for aid recipients, a figure that sits $11,070 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Median federal student debt among completers who borrowed is $14,715, likewise $5,361 below the peer median of $20,076.

The affordability pillar reaches the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Average net prices run from $2,681 in the lowest-income band to $14,316 in the highest-income band; the spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,635.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a steeply progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $2,681; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $2,680; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $4,735; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $7,745; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $14,316.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,635. About 57.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing context for the lowest income band.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$2,681

**$30–48K**
$2,680

**$48–75K**
$4,735

**$75–110K**
$7,745

**$110K+**
$14,316

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$4,564**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The lowest-income families see the largest discounts. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#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**
$12,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$152/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**
$14,715

**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

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, $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-university-san-bernardino#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.