Cost & financial aid brief
Dominican University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Dominican University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $32,146 on average.
The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, with the lowest band averaging $9,759 and the highest $17,963. The spread of $8,204 describes a pricing structure that tilts toward affordability for families with fewer resources, rather than a flat discount.
The published cost of attendance at Dominican University is $43,891 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #326 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 $9,759, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,891, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,963. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,204.
Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $11,745, which is $15,626 below the median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,411 in federal student loans. That figure is $212 above the peer median of $24,199.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $19,865 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month.
It estimates what a family might pay at this school based on their own finances.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Dominican University, with 90.8% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $24,411.
That median is $212 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $19,865.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 62% of its 231 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $25,903 per borrower. Of those graduates, 61% held federal loans averaging $22,718. A smaller group, 8%, held private loans averaging $25,853.
Dominican University graduates earn a median of $59,507 four years after completing a degree, which is the 49th percentile. That figure is $8,743 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The earnings picture shifts when measured against expectation. Graduates earn about $13,823 more than the model expects for similar students, a result at the 90th percentile.
Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios range from $48,301 on the downside to $81,888 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $59,507. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $24,411 in federal student loans, $212 above the peer median.
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $19,865. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $277 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
- $19,865
- Estimated parent payment
- $252/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $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
- $24,411
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $19,865
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $277/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $252/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $529/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 $59,507, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
9.0% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- 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.