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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Ferris State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Ferris State University cost after financial aid?

Ferris State University publishes a cost of attendance of $27,048, with in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees both at $14,778 and room and board at $11,462. After financial aid, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—drops to $8,624, a savings of $18,424 against the published total.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 68% of the sticker price. That average net price sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,444.

Azimuth ranks the university #125 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $2,556.

At Ferris State University, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $8,624, $5,444 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university in the 91st percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who complete a degree hold a median of $21,000 in federal student loan debt, $229 below the peer median of $21,229. By income band, average net prices range from $2,556 for families earning under $30,000 to $18,603 for those earning over $110,000.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a steeply progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $2,556; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $4,315; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $7,638; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $12,485; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $18,603.

Pell Grant recipients make up 34.2% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,047.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$2,556

**$30–48K**
$4,315

**$48–75K**
$7,638

**$75–110K**
$12,485

**$110K+**
$18,603

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$8,624**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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 price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $239.

[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**
$14,849

**Estimated parent payment**
$189/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 | 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=ferris-state-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**
$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

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=ferris-state-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.