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Cost & financial aid brief

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# College of the Holy Cross Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/admissions/)[Majors](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/college-of-the-holy-cross/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does College of the Holy Cross cost after financial aid?

College of the Holy Cross sets its published cost of attendance at $80,334 (an average across living arrangements), yet after grants and scholarships the average aid recipient pays $38,782. That total includes $64,500 in tuition and fees and $18,820 for room and board.

Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average reduction of $41,552 from the sticker price. That average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits $11,411 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #1,349 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 5th percentile.

The affordability pillar is the weakest of the four for College of the Holy Cross, at the 5th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. For College of the Holy Cross, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $38,782, $11,411 above the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

By income band, the lowest-income families average $14,343 and the highest-income families average $56,284, a spread of $41,941. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,801 above the peer median of $24,199.

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) average $14,343. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $16,179 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $12,682 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, $27,711 for the $75,001–$110,000 band, and $56,284 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $41,941. 14.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$14,343

**$30–48K**
$16,179

**$48–75K**
$12,682

**$75–110K**
$27,711

**$110K+**
$56,284

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$38,782**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $41,552 from the sticker price. The pattern across income bands is not flat.

The lowest-income band averages $14,343, while the highest band averages $56,284, a spread of $41,941 between the two ends. That spread means the [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) more than triples from the bottom of the income scale to the top.

The middle bands sit closer to the low end than the high one, which suggests the aid formula targets need rather than spreading discounts evenly across all families.

The published cost of attendance at College of the Holy Cross is $80,334 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,349 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 $14,343, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,682, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $56,284. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $41,941.

Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price for first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients is $38,782, which is $11,411 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans. That is $2,801 above the $24,199 peer median.

94.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $39,032 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 $307 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

At College of the Holy Cross, borrowers who complete leave with a median of $27,000 in federal student loans. 94.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, making borrowing the norm for those who enroll.

That amount is $2,801 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans cover a separate borrower population, with a median of $39,032.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $84,553. That figure sits in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median federal debt of $27,000 is $2,801 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $59,818 to an upside of $111,958.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $39,032. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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**
$39,032

**Estimated parent payment**
$496/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $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**
$27,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$39,032

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$307/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$496/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$803/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 $84,553, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**5.9%** 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=college-of-the-holy-cross#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.