Cost & financial aid brief
Milwaukee School of Engineering Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Milwaukee School of Engineering cost after financial aid?
The published price drops sharply for the average aid recipient, although the income-band averages show that the discount is not uniform. From a published cost of attendance of $62,648 (an average across living arrangements) to an average net price of $22,453, aid offsets $40,195 on average.
Aid covers about 64% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Average net prices run from $11,607 in the lowest income band to $30,292 in the highest; the intervening bands are $15,919, $14,495, and $19,034.
This pattern places lower average net prices toward lower-income bands, while the middle-band figures vary rather than moving evenly upward.
The published cost of attendance at Milwaukee School of Engineering is $62,648 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,011 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, making it the weakest of the four pillars for this school.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $11,607, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $14,495, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $30,292. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,685.
Aid covers about 64% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, reducing the sticker price by $40,195 to an average net price of $22,453. That average is $4,918 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,801 above the $24,199 peer median. 93.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $34,081. 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?
Median federal student loan debt for completers is $27,000. 93.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, and the university's median is $2,801 above it. Median Parent PLUS borrowing for parent borrowers is $34,081.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 69% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $32,706 per borrower. Federal loans were held by 68% of graduates, averaging $23,219 per borrower, including some with private loans as well. Private loans were held by 16% of graduates, averaging $40,019 per borrower.
Milwaukee School of Engineering pairs high earnings with debt that sits above the peer midpoint, making the return picture favorable but not cost-free. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $90,607 four years after completion.
Azimuth places those earnings in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what expects for similar students, fall in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $18,526 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings scenarios place typical earnings at $90,607, with a downside scenario of $80,397 and an upside scenario of $102,107.
Median federal debt of $27,000 is $2,801 above the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years.
High and above-expected earnings point one way, while above-peer debt points another.
Among parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $34,081. For borrowers with median federal student loan 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
- $34,081
- Estimated parent payment
- $433/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 | 25.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 11.5% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 5.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.6% | 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
- $27,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $34,081
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $307/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $433/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $740/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 $90,607, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.5% 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, $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.