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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Elmhurst University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

For aid recipients, Elmhurst University has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $24,185, with aid offsetting $30,494 against the published price on average. The published cost of attendance is $54,679 (an average across living arrangements).

Separately, the university lists tuition and fees of $42,955 and room and board of $14,528. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371; Elmhurst’s average net price is $3,186 below that figure.

Azimuth ranks the university #794 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid savings and lower-than-peer average net price point in the same direction for recipients.

The published cost of attendance is $54,679 (an average across living arrangements), and aid covers about 56% of that for the average aid recipient. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $24,185.

That is $3,186 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). By income band, average net prices range from $17,892 for families earning under $30,000 to $30,232 for those earning over $110,000.

Borrowers who complete a degree hold a median of $20,489 in federal student loans, $3,710 below the peer median of $24,199. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the affordability pillar is in the 44th percentile.

Among aid recipients, prices are lowest in the under thirty thousand dollars band and highest above one hundred ten thousand dollars. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $17,892 for families earning under thirty thousand dollars; $18,377 from thirty thousand one dollars to forty-eight thousand dollars; $23,098 from forty-eight thousand one dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars; $25,419 from seventy-five thousand one dollars to one hundred ten thousand dollars; and $30,232 above one hundred ten thousand dollars.

Pell Grants reach 36.8% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,340.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$17,892

**$30–48K**
$18,377

**$48–75K**
$23,098

**$75–110K**
$25,419

**$110K+**
$30,232

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$24,185**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Average aid absorbs more than half of Elmhurst’s published cost for recipients, but the amount left to pay changes across income bands. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 56% of the published cost, and the sticker-to-net gap is $30,494.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $17,892 for families under thirty thousand dollars, $18,377 from thirty thousand one dollars to forty-eight thousand dollars, $23,098 from forty-eight thousand one dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars, $25,419 from seventy-five thousand one dollars to one hundred ten thousand dollars, and $30,232 above one hundred ten thousand dollars. This pattern places lower after-aid prices in lower-income bands and higher prices in upper-income bands; it describes averages rather than an individual aid package.

The published cost of attendance is $54,679, an average across living arrangements. Published tuition and fees are $42,955.

Azimuth ranks Elmhurst University #794 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $17,892, those in the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) average $23,098, and those in the highest band (over $110,000) average $30,232.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,340. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) across all bands to $24,185.

That is $3,186 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,489 in federal student loans, $3,710 below the $24,199 peer median.

87.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,470 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Elmhurst University’s median federal debt is below the comparable-school median, although federal borrowing is widespread. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,489.

Federal loans are used by 87.5% of federal aid recipients. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median federal debt of $24,199, making Elmhurst University’s median $3,710 below that benchmark.

For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $27,470.

Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of Elmhurst University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,784. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that median lands at the 62nd percentile.

It sits $4,466 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,599 more than the model expects for similar students.

That outcome falls at the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $44,480 in a downside case to $81,539 in an upside case, with $63,784 as the typical outcome.

Borrowers who complete hold a median of $20,489 in federal student loans, $3,710 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 $233 a month.

Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $27,470, separate from the federal student-loan borrowers counted in the student debt figure. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 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**
$27,470

**Estimated parent payment**
$349/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 | 20.6% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 9.2% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 4.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.9% | 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=elmhurst-university#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**
$20,489

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$27,470

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$233/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$349/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$582/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 $63,784, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.0%** 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=elmhurst-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.