Cost & financial aid brief
Cedarville University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Cedarville University cost after financial aid?
Aid reaches further for lower-income bands at Cedarville University than for higher-income bands. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 50% of the published cost.
The sticker-to-net difference is $24,852: the published cost is $49,320, compared with an average net price of $24,468. Across the five income bands, average net prices are $18,987, $17,762, $19,743, $23,426, and $28,127, from lowest to highest income.
That ordering shows a pricing pattern in which lower-income aid recipients receive larger average reductions from the published cost.
The published cost of attendance at Cedarville University is $49,320. Azimuth ranks the university #919 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 $18,987, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,743, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $28,127. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,140.
Aid covers about 50% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $24,468. That is $2,903 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $20,937 in federal student loans, $3,262 below the $24,199 peer median. 91.4% of federal aid recipients take out federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $37,422. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Cedarville University, so the range of balances gives useful context alongside the midpoint. Among completers who borrowed federal loans, median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,937.
91.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $24,199, with Cedarville's median below it by $3,262.
Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $37,422.
At Cedarville University, the financial picture is mixed: debt is lower than at comparable institutions, but graduate earnings fall short of expectation. Graduates working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $60,679 four years after completion, placing the figure in the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $12,859 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 13th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings scenarios from the program mix put downside earnings at $43,277, typical earnings at $60,679, and upside earnings at $88,083. Median federal debt is $20,937, below the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,262.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years.
For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, had median borrowing of $37,422.
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
- $37,422
- Estimated parent payment
- $475/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 28.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 12.6% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 6.0% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 3.9% | 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. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $20,937
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $37,422
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $238/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $475/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $713/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 $60,679, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.8% 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, $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.
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.