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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Middle Tennessee State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Middle Tennessee State University cost after financial aid?

A sticker budget at Middle Tennessee State University comes to $24,289 before aid, putting the published cost in view for families comparing offers. In-state tuition and fees are $10,266, out-of-state tuition and fees are $31,574, and room and board are $12,242.

For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,359. That is $10,930 below the sticker total.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, with the university below it by $2,275. Azimuth ranks Middle Tennessee State University #231 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Its average aid-recipient price sits below the peer median, alongside a sizable offset from the published cost.

At Middle Tennessee State University, grants and scholarships lower out-of-pocket costs below the published sticker. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) measures what aid recipients pay after that aid.

The affordability pillar sits at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients pay an average of $13,359, $2,275 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Recipients in the lowest income band pay $9,289 on average. Those in the highest income band pay $19,046.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $20,000 in federal loans, $76 below the median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s vary across family-income bands: families in the lowest band average $9,289; the next band averages $10,273; the middle band averages $13,007; the next-highest band averages $16,935; and the highest band averages $19,046. Pell Grant recipients make up 31.8% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,757.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,289

**$30–48K**
$10,273

**$48–75K**
$13,007

**$75–110K**
$16,935

**$110K+**
$19,046

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$13,359**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

At Middle Tennessee State University, aid brings the published cost of $24,289 down to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $13,359. That leaves an average aid offset of $10,930, and aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The lowest-income band averages $9,289; the highest-income band averages $19,046, so pricing is lower for lower-income aid recipients. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that first-year aid recipients with need had an average 62% of need met in the 2025-26 academic year.

Their average need-based grant was $8,221, and their average package was $13,939. It counted 1,893 first-year students determined to have need and 219 whose need was fully met. Merit aid went to 779 first-year students and averaged $9,799.

At Middle Tennessee State University, the published cost of attendance is $24,289, but aid recipients face different average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band. The average net price is $9,289 for the lowest family-income band, $10,273 for the lower-middle band, $13,007 for the middle band, $16,935 for the upper-middle band, and $19,046 for the highest band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,757. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid offsets a substantial part of the published cost. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,359, and aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Average financial aid savings against the sticker price are $10,930. That net price is $2,275 below the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published in-state tuition and fees are $10,266, versus $31,574 for out-of-state tuition and fees. The aid offset and lower peer comparison point in the same direction on price.

Borrowing at completion sits slightly below the comparable-institution figure, though federal loans are common among undergraduates. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,000, and 79.7% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

That median is $76 below the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing among parent borrowers is $14,229.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing sits below the peer benchmark but is common among undergraduates. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at Middle Tennessee State University was $20,000.

Federal loans were taken by 79.7% of federal aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median was $20,076, placing this median below by $76.

For [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, a separate population, median borrowing was $14,229. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 44% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount per borrower of $22,596.

That reporting includes 43% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $19,209. It also includes 5% of graduates with private loans, averaging $29,995.

At Middle Tennessee State University, mobility is the strongest Azimuth pillar, though the investment picture is mixed. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $54,525; Azimuth places that figure in the 31st 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, offers a less favorable view. Graduates earn about $8,061 less than the model expects for similar students.

Azimuth places this measure in the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $43,294, $54,525, and $79,026.

For borrowers, median federal student debt at completion is $20,000, below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $20,076 by $76. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and the model's earnings assessment pull in different directions.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $14,229. The median federal student debt cited above corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 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**
$14,229

**Estimated parent payment**
$181/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 | 10.7% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 4.8% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.3% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.5% | 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=middle-tennessee-state-university#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**
$20,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$14,229

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$227/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$181/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$408/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 $54,525, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**8.9%** 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=middle-tennessee-state-university#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.