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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Gustavus Adolphus College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Gustavus Adolphus College cost after financial aid?

At Gustavus Adolphus College, aid brings the published price down substantially for the average recipient, although its post-aid cost sits somewhat higher than at comparable colleges. The published cost of attendance is $67,613, an average across living arrangements.

On-campus tuition and fees are $56,076, and room and board is $11,804. For aid recipients, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,900, with financial aid offsetting $44,713 against the published price on average.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $22,347, making the college $553 above that middle value. Azimuth ranks Gustavus Adolphus College #1,000 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The aid reduction is large, but the average post-aid price remains above the peer median.

At Gustavus Adolphus College, costs and borrowing sit somewhat above comparable benchmarks. Azimuth places its affordability pillar in the 29th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,900, $553 above the peer median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size). By income band, average net price is $12,015 in the lowest band, $10,783 in the next, $13,875 in the middle, $19,015 in the next-highest, and $29,674 in the highest.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,774, $1,774 above the peer median of $25,000.

Pricing varies across the income bands, with the next-lowest band carrying the lowest listed average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). For aid recipients in the lowest band, average net price is $12,015; in the next band, $10,783; in the middle band, $13,875; in the next-highest band, $19,015; and in the highest band, $29,674.

20.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a financial-access measure that provides context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $17,659.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$12,015

**$30–48K**
$10,783

**$48–75K**
$13,875

**$75–110K**
$19,015

**$110K+**
$29,674

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$22,900**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Most of the published price is offset for the average aid recipient, but the pattern differs by family-income band. Aid covers about 66% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, and the sticker-to-net difference is $44,713.

That difference is an average across aid recipients rather than a quote for any particular family. The lowest-income band does not carry the lowest listed average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/); the next-lowest band does.

Prices then move upward through the middle and upper bands, with the highest-income band carrying the largest listed average.

At Gustavus Adolphus College, the published cost of attendance is $67,613 (an average across living arrangements), but aid recipients face different average prices across family-income bands. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,015 in the lowest family-income band, $10,783 in the lower-middle family-income band, $13,875 in the middle family-income band, $19,015 in the upper-middle family-income band, and $29,674 in the highest family-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $17,659. Azimuth ranks Gustavus Adolphus College #1,000 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 66% of the published cost, an offset of $44,713 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $22,900, which is $553 above the peer median of $22,347 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published tuition and fees are $56,076. The average price sits slightly above the comparable-institution median despite substantial aid coverage.

Federal-loan borrowers who completed have median federal student loan debt of $26,774. That figure is $1,774 above the $25,000 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), and 95.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

[Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers have median borrowing of $34,265. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 a month if repaid over ten years.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread, and the debt picture sits above the comparable-school midpoint. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,774.

Federal loans are used by 95.5% of federal aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $25,000; Gustavus Adolphus College’s median is $1,774 above that mark.

For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $34,265.

Graduates of Gustavus Adolphus College earn a median of $61,015 four years after completing a degree, a figure that sits in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. However, graduates earn about $9,832 less than the model expects for similar students, placing the gap at the 20th percentile nationally.

Earnings scenarios, which are estimates based on the mix of programs at the college, show a range of outcomes. The typical earnings scenario is $61,015, with a downside case of $47,521 and an upside case reaching $85,287.

On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt for those who complete is $26,774, which is $1,774 above the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 a month if repaid over ten years.

For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $34,265. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $304 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**
$34,265

**Estimated parent payment**
$435/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [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**
$26,774

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$34,265

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$304/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$435/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$739/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 $61,015, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**9.5%** of income above the allowance · Good

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
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, $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.

[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=gustavus-adolphus-college#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.