Cost & financial aid brief
Ferris State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Ferris State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 68% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $18,424. That is an average across all aided students, not a guarantee for any one family.
The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes. The lowest-income band averages $2,556, while the highest averages $18,603.
In between, families earning $30,001 to $48,000 average $4,315, those earning $48,001 to $75,000 average $7,638, and those earning $75,001 to $110,000 average $12,485. That structure shows aid concentrated at lower incomes, with higher net prices at higher income levels. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,047.
Ferris State University publishes a cost of attendance of $27,048, with in-state tuition and fees at $14,778 and room and board at $11,462. After grants and scholarships, the average net price—what aid recipients pay—is $2,556 for families earning under $30,000, $7,638 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, and $18,603 for families earning over $110,000.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,047. Azimuth ranks the university #125 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 68% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $18,424 that brings the overall average net price to $8,624. That figure sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,444.
The university's sticker price is built on in-state tuition; out-of-state students see the same tuition figure, keeping the published cost uniform across residency. 88.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and the median federal student debt at completion is $21,000.
That debt is below the peer median of $21,229 by $229, and it corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS carry a separate median of $14,849.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at Ferris State University, where 88.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who borrow and complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $21,000.
That median sits below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $229. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program carry a median of $14,849.
At Ferris State University, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,721 four years after completion. That figure is in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
It is $7,420 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,953 more than expects for similar students.
That outcome is in the 78th percentile. Earnings scenarios run from $48,004 to $87,152, with $64,721 as the typical outcome.
The median federal student debt at completion is $21,000, $229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years.
Earnings and debt point the same way: above the peer median on pay, below it on borrowing. The beyond-expectations result means the advantage holds against what the model predicts for similar students.
Parent borrowers at Ferris State University took on a median of $14,849 in Parent PLUS loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $239.
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
- $14,849
- Estimated parent payment
- $189/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 11.1% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.0% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.6% | 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. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $21,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $14,849
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $239/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $189/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $428/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 $64,721, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.0% 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, $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.
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.