Cost & financial aid brief
Davidson College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Davidson College cost after financial aid?
The published cost of attendance is $79,475 (an average across living arrangements), but aid covers about 78% of that for the average aid recipient. That is an average, not a promise for any particular family, and the sticker price is where every aid package starts.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported first-year aid figures for the 2025-26 academic year. Students determined to have need received an average need-based grant of $65,233 and an average total package of $74,826.
The average share of need met was 100%, and of the 301 students with need, 301 had it fully met. The pricing pattern across income bands is steep.
The lowest-income band averages $9,497 while the highest band averages $42,346, a spread of $32,849 between the two ends. That points to aid that is heavily concentrated on families with the greatest need.
The published cost of attendance is $79,475 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks Davidson College #573 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,497, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $6,759, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $42,346. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $32,849.
Aid covers about 78% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the for all aid recipients to $17,379. That is $4,968 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $18,688 in federal student loans, $6,312 below the $25,000 peer median. About 73.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $52,622. If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $212 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
At Davidson College, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,718 four years after completion. This sits $16,803 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Azimuth places that figure at the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $48,799 on the downside to $87,077 on the upside, with a typical outcome of $72,718.
Borrowers who finish hold a median of $18,688 in federal loans, $6,312 below the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $212 a month. Earnings sit above the peer median and debt sits below the peer median.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $52,622. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $212 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
- $52,622
- Estimated parent payment
- $669/mo
| 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.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $18,688
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $52,622
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $212/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $669/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $881/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 $72,718, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.1% 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, $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.
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.