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Cost & financial aid brief

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

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

California State University-Stanislaus charges $8,246 in tuition and fees for state residents and $20,846 for nonresidents, with published room and board at $13,126. The total published cost of attendance is $19,739 (an average across living arrangements).

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay an average of $6,067. Aid covers about 69% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, lowering the sticker price by $13,672 on average.

That average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits $8,001 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #38 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 97th percentile.

California State University-Stanislaus keeps out-of-pocket costs for aid recipients well below what similar institutions charge. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) here is $6,067, $8,001 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth scores the university at the 97th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $13,540 in federal student debt, $7,689 below the peer median.

Average net prices range from $3,938 for families earning under $30,000 to $16,810 for those earning over $110,000.

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 $3,938; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $4,467; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $5,947; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $9,230; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $16,810.

Pell Grant recipients make up 55.2% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,872.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$3,938

**$30–48K**
$4,467

**$48–75K**
$5,947

**$75–110K**
$9,230

**$110K+**
$16,810

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$6,067**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 69% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) to $6,067. The pattern across income bands shows the largest discounts flowing to families with the lowest earnings: the average net price is $3,938 for families earning under $30,000, $4,467 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $5,947 for $48,001–$75,000, $9,230 for $75,001–$110,000, and $16,810 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,872, a difference of averages that reflects how aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes.

California State University-Stanislaus delivers some of the strongest affordability numbers among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $19,739, an average across living arrangements.

In-state tuition and fees are $8,246, and room and board is $13,126. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients actually pay—is $3,938 for families earning under $30,000, $5,947 for families in the $48,001–$75,000 band, and $16,810 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,872. Azimuth ranks the university #38 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 69% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $13,672 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $6,067, which sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,001.

For California residents, the in-state tuition and fees figure is the one cited above; out-of-state students face $20,846. Graduates who borrow federal loans leave with a median federal student debt of $13,540, well below the peer median of $21,229 by $7,689.

About 50.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $154 a month if repaid over ten years.

For parents, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,700.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

50.5% of federal aid recipients at California State University-Stanislaus use federal student loans. Among borrowers who complete a degree, the median federal debt at completion is $13,540.

That puts the university below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $7,689. Among parent borrowers, a separate population, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $12,700.

Graduates of California State University-Stanislaus working and not enrolled four years after completion record median earnings of $58,952, a level in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $13,797 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that outcome in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix at California State University-Stanislaus show a typical outcome of $58,952, a downside case of $47,668, and an upside case of $80,979. For borrowers, the median federal debt at completion, $13,540, falls below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $154.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $12,700. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $154.

[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**
$12,700

**Estimated parent payment**
$161/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 9.5% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 4.3% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.3% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=california-state-university-stanislaus#parent-tool). [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**
$13,540

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$12,700

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$154/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$161/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$315/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 $58,952, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.3%** 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, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 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-stanislaus#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.