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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Dalton State College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/dalton-state-college/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/dalton-state-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/dalton-state-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/dalton-state-college/majors/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Dalton State College cost after financial aid?

Affordability is the pillar that stands out at Dalton State College, and the numbers bear that out. The published cost of attendance is $12,719, an average across living arrangements.

In-state tuition and fees are $3,336, and room and board is $10,419. Out-of-state students face tuition and fees of $10,656.

For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — what they pay after grants and scholarships — is $5,012. That is $9,056 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

On average, aid covers about 61% of the published cost. Azimuth ranks the university #23 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That places the affordability pillar in the 98th percentile. The price advantage over peers is substantial, and the average net price sits well below the sticker.

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients at Dalton State College pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $5,012. That is $9,056 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The lowest income band averages $3,962, and the highest averages $10,055. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who finish hold a median federal debt of $12,937, $8,292 below the peer median.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $3,962 for families earning under $30,000; $3,788 for the $30,001–$48,000 band; $6,042 for the $48,001–$75,000 band; $8,114 for the $75,001–$110,000 band; and $10,055 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,093.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$3,962

**$30–48K**
$3,788

**$48–75K**
$6,042

**$75–110K**
$8,114

**$110K+**
$10,055

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$5,012**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 61% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $7,707.

The pattern across income bands is tight: the lowest band averages $3,962 and the highest averages $10,055, a spread of $6,093. The middle bands sit between those two figures, so the [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) varies across income bands but the steps are modest.

The published cost of attendance at Dalton State College is $12,719 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #23 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 $3,962, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $6,042, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $10,055. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,093.

Aid covers about 61% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $5,012, which is $9,056 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $12,937 in federal student loans. That is $8,292 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions.

About 34.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $8,848.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $147 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $12,937. That is $8,292 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The debt range is wide. Federal borrowing is not the norm here: 34.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow through the separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a median of $8,848.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $52,160. That places the figure at the 24th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median is $5,141 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,977 more than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from Dalton State College's program mix, range from $44,861 on the downside to $74,782 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $52,160.

The median federal debt of $12,937 corresponds to an estimated payment of $147 a month if repaid over ten years. The debt sits below the median for comparable institutions.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $8,848. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $147 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**
$8,848

**Estimated parent payment**
$112/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 | 6.6% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 3.0% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 1.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 0.9% | 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=dalton-state-college#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**
$12,937

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$8,848

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$147/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$112/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$259/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 $52,160, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**6.3%** 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, $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=dalton-state-college#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.