Cost & financial aid brief
Sacred Heart University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Sacred Heart University cost after financial aid?
Aid reduces the listed price for recipients, but post-aid costs still vary markedly across the income range. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 33% of the published cost.
The published cost, average net price, and aid savings show the stated sticker-to-net gap. Across the listed income bands, average net prices are lower at lower incomes and higher in upper bands.
That pattern shows aid is more concentrated toward lower-income recipients, rather than operating as a uniform discount. The price gap and income pattern point to aid that varies by family income.
The published cost of attendance at Sacred Heart University is $69,289 (an average across living arrangements), so affordability depends heavily on aid. Average net price is $38,691 for the low-income family band, $40,517 for the lower-middle-income family band, $41,647 for the middle-income family band, $46,348 for the upper-middle-income family band, and $48,217 for the high-income family band.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,526. Azimuth ranks the university #1,386 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 33% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $46,174, with average aid savings of $23,115.
Tuition and fees are $50,404, and room and board are $19,140. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371, making Sacred Heart's average net price $18,803 above that figure.
The sticker price and peer comparison both point to a higher-cost picture. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,000.
The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, and Sacred Heart's figure is $801 above it; 96.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $45,486 for parent borrowers.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at Sacred Heart University, where 96.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, making loan terms part of the cost picture. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,000.
At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $24,199; Sacred Heart’s median is $801 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $45,486.
Four-year earnings place Sacred Heart University on a favorable return track, though its typical federal borrowing is somewhat higher than that of comparable colleges. The median is $79,431 four years after completion, in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $1,756 more than expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, stands in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $55,368, $79,431, and $98,829 four years after completion. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,000.
That is $801 above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and slightly higher debt point in different directions.
For the separate population of Parent PLUS parent borrowers, median borrowing is $45,486. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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
- $45,486
- Estimated parent payment
- $578/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 34.1% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 15.3% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 7.3% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 4.8% | 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. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $25,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $45,486
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $284/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $578/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $862/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 $79,431, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.1% 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, $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.
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.