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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Metropolitan State University of Denver Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver/admissions/)[Majors](/school/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Metropolitan State University of Denver cost after financial aid?

At Metropolitan State University of Denver, the published cost of attendance is $24,622. In-state tuition and fees are $11,124, and out-of-state tuition is $30,684.

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,327. For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships cut the sticker price by $9,295.

The average net price is $307 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #339 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That places the affordability pillar in the 76th percentile. The average net price applies to aid recipients; families without aid face the full sticker price.

Aid recipients at Metropolitan State University of Denver pay an average of $15,327 after grants and scholarships, $307 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) measures what aid recipients owe after grants and scholarships.

Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,500 in federal student loans, $1,424 above the peer median. For families earning under $30,000, that amount is $12,481; for those earning over $110,000, it is $23,822.

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest family-income band, under $30,000, average $12,481. The next band, $30,001 to $48,000, averages $12,436.

The middle band pays $14,927, the next-highest $19,539, and the highest, over $110,000, averages $23,822. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,341.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$12,481

**$30–48K**
$12,436

**$48–75K**
$14,927

**$75–110K**
$19,539

**$110K+**
$23,822

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$15,327**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships reduce the published cost by $9,295, covering about 38% of the sticker price. That is an average across all aided students, not a guarantee for any one family.

The [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) pattern is progressive: the lowest income band averages $12,481, while the highest band averages $23,822. The spread between those two ends is $11,341, reflecting a structure where aid offsets more of the cost at lower incomes.

These are averages within each band, and individual aid packages will differ. The published cost of attendance remains the starting point before grants and scholarships are applied.

The published cost of attendance is $24,622. Azimuth ranks Metropolitan State University of Denver #339 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $12,481, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $14,927, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $23,822. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,341.

Aid covers about 38% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,327, which is $307 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,500 in federal student loans. That is $1,424 above the peer median of $20,076.

75.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $13,743 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is common at Metropolitan State University of Denver: 75.6% of federal aid recipients take out federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student debt is $21,500.

That median is $1,424 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $13,743 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

Among federally aided completers at Metropolitan State University of Denver who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $60,186. Azimuth places that figure in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Those completers earn about $4,934 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that earnings gap in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $48,167 on the downside to $86,117 on the upside. The earnings scenarios are based on the mix of programs offered.

Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,500 in federal student loans, $1,424 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $13,743. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 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**
$13,743

**Estimated parent payment**
$175/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$21,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$13,743

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$244/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$175/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$419/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 $60,186, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.8%** of income above the allowance · Excellent

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
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=metropolitan-state-university-of-denver#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.