Cost & financial aid brief
Central State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Central State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, but that average does not describe any particular family’s package. The gap between the published price and average net price is the average aid reduction already reflected in the school’s cost figures.
Across the income bands, the lowest-income group has the highest average net price, followed by the middle and upper bands in a non-linear order. That pattern shows that average aid reductions are not concentrated consistently at the lowest listed income level.
Families should read the band figures as group averages after grants and scholarships, rather than as quotes for an individual household. The published-cost reduction is real for the average aid recipient, yet the uneven band pattern makes income-specific estimates more useful than the overall average alone.
The published cost of attendance at Central State University is $21,929. Azimuth ranks the university #600 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 $19,581, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $8,773, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $10,187. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,394.
The average aid recipient sees a savings of $8,833 against the published cost, bringing the average net price across all bands to $13,096. That figure is $972 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
In-state tuition and fees are $8,058, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $10,058. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $30,739 in federal student loans.
That is $9,510 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions. 95.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $17,178 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $349 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Central State University, where 95.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans and completers who borrowed have median federal student loan debt of $30,739. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $21,229; the university's median is $9,510 above it.
For separate parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,178. The high borrowing share and above-peer median point to a debt picture requiring careful consideration.
Access is Central State University's strongest Azimuth pillar, but its investment picture is limited by low earnings and higher borrowing. Median earnings four years after completion are $42,843, which Azimuth places in the 7th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $9,286 less than expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, stands in the 21st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The earnings scenarios put earnings at $41,684 in a downside case, $42,843 in a typical case, and $57,813 in an upside case. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $30,739, above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $9,510.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $349 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower earnings and debt above the peer median point in the same direction.
Parent borrowers using Parent PLUS have median borrowing of $17,178, a separate population from student federal-loan borrowers. For student borrowers at the median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $349 a month if repaid over ten years.
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
- $17,178
- Estimated parent payment
- $218/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 | 12.9% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.8% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.7% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.8% | 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
- $30,739
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $17,178
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $349/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $218/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $567/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 $42,843, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
22.2% of income above the allowance · High risk
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20% · selected scenario
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.