Cost & financial aid brief
National Louis University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does National Louis University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The sticker-to-net gap is $11,513, and the average net price across all bands is $12,641.
The pattern across income bands shows a relatively flat pricing structure. The lowest band averages $12,462, while the highest averages $17,956, a difference of $5,494.
The middle bands sit between those two figures, with the $30,001 to $48,000 band actually averaging slightly less than the lowest band. That narrow spread means the net price a family sees does not increase steeply with income. The average net price is $14,730 below the peer median.
The published cost of attendance is $24,154, and Azimuth ranks National Louis University #204 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $12,462, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,996, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,956.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $5,494. Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall average net price to $12,641.
That is $14,730 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $19,750 in federal student loans, which is $4,449 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) of $24,199.
74.7% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS hold a separate median of $17,284.
If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
74.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree at National Louis University leave with a median of $19,750 in federal student debt.
That is $4,449 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $17,284 in Parent PLUS loans.
The earnings story at National Louis University turns on the gap between what graduates earn and what expects. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,065, at the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That figure is $5,185 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $16,446 more than the model expects for similar students.
That places the gap at the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $46,047 to an upside of $72,622, with a typical scenario of $63,065.
Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $19,750 in federal loans, $4,449 below the peer median of $24,199. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month.
Raw earnings sit below the peer median, and graduates earn about $16,446 more than the model expects for similar students.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,284. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 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
- $17,284
- Estimated parent payment
- $220/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $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
- $19,750
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $17,284
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $224/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $220/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $444/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 $63,065, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.6% 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, $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.