Cost & financial aid brief
Governors State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Governors State University cost after financial aid?
For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 49% of the published cost, leaving an average net price below the sticker figure. The published cost of attendance is $24,227, the average net price is $12,329, and average financial aid savings are $11,898.
The five income bands show lower average net prices at lower family incomes and higher average net prices at higher incomes, with the middle bands falling between those endpoints. That is a pattern of larger average aid offsets for lower-income recipients, not a statement of what any particular family will receive.
The overall average combines aid recipients across income bands, so the sticker-to-net gap and the band pattern describe the same pricing picture from different angles.
The published cost of attendance at Governors State University is $24,227. Azimuth ranks the university #163 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 $9,563, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,705, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $22,076. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,513.
Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $11,898 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,329, which is $1,739 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $18,618 in federal student loans. That is $2,611 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions.
81.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $13,991.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $212 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
At Governors State University, federal borrowing is widespread, but the typical debt figure sits below that of comparable institutions. 81.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $18,618.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229, leaving the university's median $2,611 below it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,991.
The investment picture is mixed: debt is lower than at comparable institutions, but graduate earnings fall short of expectation. Graduates of Governors State University earn a median of $56,405 four years after completion, placing earnings in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are also in the 36th percentile. Graduates earn about $5,141 less than the model expects for similar students.
Earnings scenarios put downside earnings at $47,107, typical earnings at $56,405, and upside earnings at $69,165. Median federal debt is $18,618, which is $2,611 below the $21,229 peer median.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $212 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and near-peer earnings point in different directions from the model-based earnings result.
Family borrowing can extend beyond student federal loans: among the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,991. For completers with median federal student debt, that 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
- $13,991
- Estimated parent payment
- $178/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $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
- $18,618
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $13,991
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $212/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $178/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $390/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 $56,405, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.5% 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.