1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [Cumberland University](/school/cumberland-university/)
4.  /
5.  Cost & financial aid brief

Cost & financial aid brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# Cumberland University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Cumberland University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at Cumberland University is $43,358, with tuition and fees of $27,840 and room and board of $12,800. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cover 57% of that sticker price, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) down to $18,759.

That net price is $8,612 below the $27,371 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #353 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 75th percentile.

Affordability is the strongest pillar for Cumberland University, at the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Here, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $18,759, which is $8,612 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

By income band, families earning under $30,000 average $17,882 and those earning over $110,000 average $20,917. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $3,035, and aid covers about 57% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,952 in federal student loans, $6,247 below the peer median.

30.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) is $17,882.

The average net price is $18,048 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $19,609 for $48,001–$75,000, $20,333 for $75,001–$110,000, and $20,917 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $3,035.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$17,882

**$30–48K**
$18,048

**$48–75K**
$19,609

**$75–110K**
$20,333

**$110K+**
$20,917

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$18,759**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 57% of the published cost, a gap of $24,599 between the sticker price and the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). The pattern across income bands is one of modest variation.

The average net price moves from $17,882 in the lowest band to $20,917 in the highest, a difference of $3,035. The pricing structure keeps costs within a narrow range regardless of family income, which suggests aid is distributed broadly rather than concentrated at the bottom of the income scale.

The published cost of attendance at Cumberland University is $43,358. Azimuth ranks the university #353 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 $17,882, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,609, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $20,917. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $3,035.

Aid covers about 57% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average net price across all bands to $18,759. That average is $8,612 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,952 in federal student loans. That figure is $6,247 below the peer median of $24,199.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,116 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 $204 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Most undergraduates at Cumberland University borrow: 79.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $17,952.

That median is $6,247 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $11,116 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

Affordability is the pillar that stands out at Cumberland University, and the debt figures show why. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,952 in federal loans, $6,247 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 a month. The earnings picture is more measured.

Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $58,091, at the 44th percentile, which is $10,159 below the $68,250 peer median. Graduates earn about $2,611 less than the model expects for similar students, at the 45th percentile.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $49,131 on the downside to $78,954 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $58,091. Debt is below the peer median, and earnings are below the peer median.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $11,116. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $204 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**
$11,116

**Estimated parent payment**
$141/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $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**
$17,952

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$11,116

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$204/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$141/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$345/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 $58,091, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**6.9%** 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=cumberland-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.