Cost & financial aid brief
Morehead State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Morehead State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 55% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, so the sticker-to-net difference is substantial on average. That difference is represented by the average aid savings against the published price, not by a guaranteed grant for any one family.
The income-band pattern places the lowest average net prices in the lower-income bands, then moves upward through the middle and higher-income bands. This shows aid targeting by income pattern rather than a single price for all recipients.
Families should treat the band averages as a starting point: grants and scholarships can vary within each income band, and the published cost remains the common pre-aid figure.
For aid recipients, Morehead State University presents a relatively low published cost before grants are considered. The published cost of attendance is $21,961.
Average net price is $7,150 for the lowest family-income band, $7,057 for the lower-middle family-income band, $8,874 for the middle family-income band, $13,341 for the upper-middle family-income band, and $15,164 for the highest family-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,014.
Azimuth ranks the university #158 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 55% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.
Across aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,793, with $12,168 in average aid savings against the sticker price. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068; Morehead State's average net price is $4,275 below that figure.
Published in-state tuition is $10,024, and out-of-state tuition is $14,980. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,250, and 83.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $21,229, placing the university's median $1,021 above it. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing for parent borrowers is $10,050.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
At Morehead State University, federal loans reach 83.3% of federal aid recipients, making borrowing a common part of the cost picture. Among completers who borrowed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $22,250.
That median is $1,021 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $21,229. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $10,050.
In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 72% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative principal of $22,284 per borrower. The reported figures include 71% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $19,202 per federal borrower.
They also include 11% of graduates with private loans, averaging $20,780 per private borrower.
Affordability is the pillar that stands out at Morehead State University. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $50,224, a figure in the 18th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That is $7,077 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $6,524 less than expects for similar students.
The gap sits at the 30th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, stretch from $38,408 in a downside case to $74,014 in an upside case.
The typical earnings scenario is $50,224. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $22,250, which is $1,021 above the peer median of $21,229.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $10,050. For student borrowers with median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 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
- $10,050
- Estimated parent payment
- $128/mo
| 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.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $22,250
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $10,050
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $253/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $128/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $381/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 $50,224, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
11.0% 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, $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.
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.