Cost & financial aid brief
Ithaca College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Ithaca College cost after financial aid?
The average net price across all aid recipients is $33,926, and aid covers about 51% of the published cost for that group, an offset of $34,773 against the sticker total. That average masks a wide range: the lowest-income band (under $30,000) averages $21,901, while the highest band (over $110,000) averages $38,785.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,884, a difference of averages that shows aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes. The lowest-band average sits well below the overall average, a pattern that coincides with the largest discounts flowing to the lowest-income families.
Even with that targeting, the average net price remains above the peer median, and the affordability rank is in the 8th percentile. The aid structure helps lower-income families but does not close the gap with comparable institutions.
The published cost of attendance at Ithaca College is $68,699 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,303 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) average $21,901, those in the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) average $28,832, and those in the highest band (over $110,000) average $38,785. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,884.
Aid covers about 51% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an average net price of $33,926 across all bands. That is $6,555 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,000 in federal student loans, $199 below the $24,199 peer median. 96.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $53,476 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is the norm at Ithaca College: 96.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For those who finish, the median federal student debt is $24,000.
That median is below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $199. Parent borrowers are a separate population, and the median Parent PLUS loan among them is $53,476.
Graduates of Ithaca College earn about $19,199 less than expects for similar students, an outcome in the 4th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion are $60,436, which falls in the 52nd percentile and is below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Earnings scenarios from the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $60,436, with a downside scenario of $45,939 and an upside scenario of $79,036. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median federal debt of $24,000, which is below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years. The return picture is mixed: earnings fall short of the model's expectation and sit below the peer median, while debt is slightly lower than the peer benchmark.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $53,476. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $273.
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
- $53,476
- Estimated parent payment
- $679/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 40.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 18.0% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 8.5% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 5.6% | 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. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $24,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $53,476
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $273/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $679/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $952/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 $60,436, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
9.0% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- 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, $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.
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.