Cost & financial aid brief
Hobart William Smith Colleges Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Hobart William Smith Colleges cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, but the pattern across income bands shows the limits of that average. The lowest-income band, families earning under $30,000, averages $14,650 after grants and scholarships.
The highest band, over $110,000, averages $39,740, a spread of $25,090 between the two ends. The middle bands sit between them, with the $30,001–$48,000 band averaging $12,639 and the $48,001–$75,000 band at $22,108.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that first-year students with need received an average need-based grant of $53,392 in the 2025-26 academic year. The average share of need met for those students was 90%, and the average aid package, including loans and work, was $56,426.
Of the 363 first-year students determined to have need, 136 had their need fully met.
The published cost of attendance at Hobart William Smith Colleges is $82,602, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $65,117, and room and board are $17,768.
Azimuth ranks the university #1,317 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $14,650 for families earning under $30,000, $12,639 for those earning $30,001 to $48,000, $22,108 for the $48,001 to $75,000 band, $23,149 for the $75,001 to $110,000 band, and $39,740 for families earning over $110,000.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $25,090. Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $51,039 against the sticker price.
The average net price across all aid recipients is $31,563, which is $9,216 above the peer median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, with 95.9% of federal aid recipients borrowing.
That median is $2,000 above the $25,000 median for comparable institutions. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $61,178 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Hobart William Smith Colleges: 95.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $27,000.
That median is $2,000 above the peer median of $25,000 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers are a separate population, with a median Parent PLUS borrowing of $61,178.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 72% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $31,392 per borrower. Federal loans were held by 71% of graduates, averaging $21,470. A smaller share of graduates, 17%, held private loans averaging $44,027.
At Hobart William Smith Colleges, the investment picture is mixed: median earnings are $70,017 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what expects for similar students, sit in the 6th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,254 less than the model expects for similar students.
The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $52,166, $70,017, and $96,338. Median federal debt of $27,000 is $2,000 above the peer median of $25,000, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Higher observed earnings and below-expected modeled earnings point in different directions.
For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $61,178. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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
- $61,178
- Estimated parent payment
- $777/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $200,000 | Caution |
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
- $27,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $61,178
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $307/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $777/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $1,084/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 $70,017, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.8% 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.