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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Indiana University-South Bend Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Indiana University-South Bend cost after financial aid?

For aid recipients at Indiana University-South Bend, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $8,653, leaving a comparatively modest cost after aid. The published cost of attendance is $17,364 (an average across living arrangements).

Published in-state tuition and fees are $8,424, room and board are $10,184, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,811. Average financial aid offsets $8,711 against the published cost.

Against comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068. Indiana University-South Bend’s average net price is $5,415 below that middle value.

Azimuth ranks the public university #122 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its lower after-aid price and affordability standing point in the same direction.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $8,653, falling $5,415 below the median among comparable institutions (same type and size). The lowest income band averages $4,637, while the highest averages $15,825.

Net prices by band are averages; individual packages vary. The affordability pillar lands at the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $21,355 in federal loans, $126 above the peer median. Net prices sit below the peer median, while debt lands above it.

Family income corresponds with markedly different average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s after aid. For families earning under thirty thousand dollars, the average net price is $4,637; from thirty thousand one dollars to forty-eight thousand dollars, it is $4,926; from forty-eight thousand one dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars, $8,195; from seventy-five thousand one dollars to one hundred ten thousand dollars, $13,968; and above one hundred ten thousand dollars, $15,825.

Pell Grants go to 42.7% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,188.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$4,637

**$30–48K**
$4,926

**$48–75K**
$8,195

**$75–110K**
$13,968

**$110K+**
$15,825

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$8,653**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid reduces the published price for the average recipient, with lower-income bands showing lower average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s than higher-income bands. Aid covers about 50% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The published cost of $17,364 (an average across living arrangements) falls to an average net price of $8,653, an average reduction of $8,711. Across the listed income range, average net prices run from $4,637 for families earning under thirty thousand dollars to $15,825 for those earning above one hundred ten thousand dollars, with $4,926, $8,195, and $13,968 in the intervening bands.

The $11,188 spread shows a pattern of lower average net prices at lower incomes, rather than an individual aid package.

The published cost of attendance is $17,364 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks Indiana University-South Bend #122 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For families earning under $30,000 it is $4,637, for the $48,001-$75,000 band it is $8,195, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $15,825, a spread of $11,188 from lowest to highest. Aid saves the average recipient $8,711 against the published sticker price.

Across all aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $8,653, which sits $5,415 below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). In-state tuition and fees are $8,424; out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,811.

Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,355 in federal student loans. That amount is $126 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

73.2% of federal aid recipients borrow through the federal program. Parents who borrow through the separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a median of $12,486.

The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $243 a month if repaid over ten years.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at Indiana University-South Bend, but the typical debt level remains close to that at comparable schools. 73.2% of federal aid recipients borrow through federal loans, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $21,355.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $21,229; Indiana University-South Bend's median is $126 above that figure. For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, median borrowing is $12,486.

Affordability is the strongest pillar at Indiana University-South Bend, while the earnings and borrowing figures offer a mixed investment picture. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $55,103.

Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 33rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are close to the expected level.

Graduates earn about $234 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Azimuth places this measure in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios place downside earnings at $45,033, typical earnings at $55,103, and upside earnings at $84,043. Median federal debt is $21,355, which is $126 above the $21,229 peer median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $243 a month if repaid over ten years. Debt is close to peers, but earnings sit near the model's expected level.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,486. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $243 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**
$12,486

**Estimated parent payment**
$159/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 | 9.4% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 4.2% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.3% | 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=indiana-university-south-bend#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**
$21,355

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$12,486

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$243/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$159/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$402/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 $55,103, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**9.4%** 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, $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=indiana-university-south-bend#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.