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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Milwaukee School of Engineering Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/admissions/)[Majors](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Milwaukee School of Engineering cost after financial aid?

At Milwaukee School of Engineering, aid recipients face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $22,453 against a published cost of attendance of $62,648. The average aid offset is $40,195, which is not a price guaranteed to any particular family.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported required fees of $2,298 and on-campus food and housing of $14,474 as sticker charges. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371, placing the university's average $4,918 below that figure.

Azimuth ranks the university #1,011 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The below-peer average net price and the affordability ranking give a mixed cost picture.

For families receiving aid, Milwaukee School of Engineering offers a lower average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) than comparable institutions, though borrowers leave with more debt. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,453, $4,918 below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

At the lowest family-income band, the average net price is $11,607, versus $30,292 at the highest band. Completers who borrowed have median federal student loan debt of $27,000, $2,801 above the peer median of $24,199.

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 29th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Lower prices and higher borrowing point in different directions.

Pricing is lowest for lower-income aid recipients, although the middle bands do not follow a straight line. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s are $11,607 for families earning under thirty thousand dollars, $15,919 for those earning from thirty thousand one dollars to forty-eight thousand dollars, $14,495 from forty-eight thousand one dollars to seventy-five thousand dollars, $19,034 from seventy-five thousand one dollars to one hundred ten thousand dollars, and $30,292 above one hundred ten thousand dollars.

Pell Grants go to 24.2% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,685.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$11,607

**$30–48K**
$15,919

**$48–75K**
$14,495

**$75–110K**
$19,034

**$110K+**
$30,292

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$22,453**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#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**
$34,081

**Estimated parent payment**
$433/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 | 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=milwaukee-school-of-engineering#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**
$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

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, $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=milwaukee-school-of-engineering#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.