Cost & financial aid brief
Nicholls State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Nicholls State University cost after financial aid?
At Nicholls State University, the average aid recipient sees grants and scholarships cover about 45% of the published cost. That is an average across students, not a guarantee for any individual package.
Pricing is lowest for the least affluent families. Aid recipients earning under $30,000 average $10,714, those in the $30,001–$48,000 band average $10,527, and the $48,001–$75,000 band averages $12,139.
The $75,001–$110,000 band averages $16,784, while families over $110,000 average $17,954. The pattern shows lower average prices at lower incomes, with aid filling more of the gap as family earnings drop. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,240.
The published cost of attendance at Nicholls State University is $23,481. Azimuth ranks the university #268 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 $10,714, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,139, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,954. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,240.
Aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,947, which is $1,121 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $22,675 in federal student loans. That is $1,446 above the $21,229 peer median.
84.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $11,428.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $258 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Most undergraduates at Nicholls State University borrow: 84.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $22,675.
The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, so the university's median sits $1,446 above it. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $11,428.
Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $51,767, at the 23rd percentile nationally. That figure is $5,534 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $1,863 less than expects for similar students, at the 48th percentile. The earnings scenarios, estimated from Nicholls State University's program mix, range from $42,914 on the downside to $73,840 on the upside.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,675 in federal loans. That is $1,446 above the peer median of $21,229, and if repaid over ten years it corresponds to an estimated payment of $258 a month.
The return picture is mixed: earnings sit below the peer median and slightly below the model's expectation, while debt runs above the peer median. The affordability pillar, at the 81st percentile, is the stronger side of the ledger here.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,428. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $258 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
- $11,428
- Estimated parent payment
- $145/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
- $22,675
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $11,428
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $258/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $145/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $403/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 $51,767, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
10.6% 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.