Cost & financial aid brief
Norfolk State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Norfolk State University cost after financial aid?
The average aid package covers about 43% of the published cost, reducing the sticker price by $11,351 on average. That is an average across all aid recipients, not a guarantee for any one family.
Average net prices are higher for families with more income. The lowest band, for families earning under $30,000, pays $12,804.
The highest band, over $110,000, pays $26,175. The spread between the two ends is $13,371.
The pattern is one of lower at lower incomes, but the published charges are the starting point before grants and scholarships are applied. The university's affordability rank sits at the 54th percentile.
The published cost of attendance at Norfolk State University is $26,633. Azimuth ranks the university #654 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 $12,804, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $15,507, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $26,175. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,371.
Aid covers about 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an average net price of $15,282 across all income bands. That figure is $1,214 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $29,000 in federal student loans, with 92.1% of federal aid recipients taking on federal debt. The median debt is $7,771 above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions.
Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $19,245. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $330 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Most undergraduates at Norfolk State University borrow: 92.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $29,000.
That median sits $7,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $19,245.
Norfolk State University graduates earn a median of $52,371 four years after completion, at the 24th percentile nationally. That figure is $4,930 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Against expectation, graduates earn about $1,404 more than the model expects for similar students, at the 60th percentile. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $48,563 to an upside of $80,045.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $29,000 in federal loans, $7,771 above the peer median of $21,229. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $330 a month.
The return picture is mixed: earnings beat the model's expectation but sit below the peer median, and debt runs above the peer median. Azimuth ranks the university #883 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $19,245. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $330 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
- $19,245
- Estimated parent payment
- $245/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $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
- $29,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $19,245
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $330/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $245/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $575/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 $52,371, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
13.3% of income above the allowance · Concerning
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20% · selected scenario
- 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.