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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Chicago State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Chicago State University cost after financial aid?

At Chicago State University, aid covers about 59% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The published cost of attendance is $29,764.

In-state tuition and fees are $12,754, matching out-of-state tuition and fees of $12,754. Published room and board add $11,550 to the standard budget.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,335, with average financial aid savings of $17,429 against the published cost. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $12,822; this university sits $487 below that mark.

Azimuth places its affordability pillar in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid reduction and lower peer comparison point to a lower average recipient cost.

The affordability pillar sits at the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,335, which is $487 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The picture shifts sharply by income. Aid recipients in the lowest band average $9,073, while those in the highest band average $28,427.

Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $30,625 in federal student loans, which is $11,125 above the peer median.

At Chicago State University, the lowest income band has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $9,073, compared with $28,427 for the highest band. The next-lowest band averages $9,550, followed by $11,334 in the middle band and $13,899 in the next-highest band.

Pell Grants reach 57.9% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $19,354, a difference between band averages.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,073

**$30–48K**
$9,550

**$48–75K**
$11,334

**$75–110K**
$13,899

**$110K+**
$28,427

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$12,335**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For the average aid recipient, the published price falls substantially after aid, though the remaining cost varies by family income. The published cost of attendance is $29,764, compared with an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $12,335 after grants and scholarships.

That sticker-to-net difference is $17,429, and aid covers about 59% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the income bands, average net prices are $9,073, $9,550, $11,334, $13,899, and $28,427 from lowest to highest income.

This pattern shows lower average prices for lower-income aid recipients, rather than a promise about any individual aid package.

Chicago State University publishes a cost of attendance of $29,764, and aid recipients face markedly different average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,073 for the lowest-income band, $9,550 for the lower-middle band, $11,334 for the middle band, $13,899 for the upper-middle band, and $28,427 for the highest-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $19,354. Azimuth ranks the university #533 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 59% of the published cost and offsets $17,429. Across all aid recipients, the average net price comes to $12,335.

That figure is $487 below the peer median net price of $12,822, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published in-state tuition and out-of-state tuition are each $12,754, with room and board listed at $11,550.

Federal student loan borrowers who completed have median debt of $30,625, and 86.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $11,125 above the peer median debt of $19,500 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $348 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $13,256.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Borrowing is widespread at Chicago State University, and completers’ federal debt is higher than the comparable-school midpoint. 86.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans; among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $30,625.

Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median federal debt of $19,500, putting the university’s median $11,125 above that figure. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $13,256.

The investment picture at Chicago State University is mixed: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $56,486 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings level in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

[Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are less favorable. Graduates earn about $4,699 less than the model expects for similar students.

Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $47,854, $56,486, and $81,723.

Median federal debt of $30,625 is $11,125 above the $19,500 peer median, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $348 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings sit above peers, but the model comparison and borrowing figures point the other way.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $13,256 among parent borrowers, a separate population from student borrowers. For student borrowers with median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $348 a month if repaid over ten years.

[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**
$13,256

**Estimated parent payment**
$168/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 | 9.9% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 4.5% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.1% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.4% | 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=chicago-state-university#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**
$30,625

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$13,256

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$348/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$168/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$516/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 $56,486, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**12.8%** of income above the allowance · Concerning

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20% · selected scenario
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=chicago-state-university#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.