Cost & financial aid brief
Colorado State University-Fort Collins Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Colorado State University-Fort Collins cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 33% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an average net price of $21,279 against a sticker cost of $31,642. The resulting sticker-to-net gap is $10,363.
Across the income bands, run from $13,259 in the lowest band to $29,763 in the highest, with $14,460, $15,905, and $21,927 in the bands between. The spread of $16,504 shows a pricing pattern in which lower-income aid recipients face lower average prices than higher-income recipients.
At Colorado State University-Fort Collins, the published cost of attendance is $31,642, before grants and scholarships reduce what aid recipients pay. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,259 for the lowest-income band, $14,460 for the next band, $15,905 for the middle-income band, $21,927 for the upper-middle band, and $29,763 for the highest-income band.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,504. Azimuth ranks the university #695 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 33% of the published cost, an offset of $10,363 that leaves an average net price of $21,279. That figure sits $5,645 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Published in-state tuition and fees are $13,373, while out-of-state tuition and fees are $34,783. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,000, which is $76 below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
87.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years.
Parent PLUS borrowers have median borrowing of $36,000.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at Colorado State University-Fort Collins, where an estimated 87.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,000 at completion.
The median is below the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), by $76. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $36,000.
For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, Colorado State University-Fort Collins shows a solid return picture four years after completion. Median earnings are $67,911, which Azimuth places in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,875 more than expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The modeled program-mix scenarios run from $47,896 in the downside case to $92,453 in the upside case, with the typical scenario matching the median earnings figure. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,000, below the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $76.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower debt relative to peers point the same way.
For parents who borrowed through Parent PLUS, median borrowing was $36,000, a separate parent-borrower population. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 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
- $36,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $457/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 | 27.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 12.1% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 5.8% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.8% | 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
- $20,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $36,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $227/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $457/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $684/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 $67,911, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.2% 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.