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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Sacred Heart University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/sacred-heart-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/sacred-heart-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/sacred-heart-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/sacred-heart-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/sacred-heart-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Sacred Heart University cost after financial aid?

At Sacred Heart University, the published price remains high even after aid, a pattern consistent with its weak affordability standing. For aid recipients, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $46,174.

Published cost of attendance is $69,289, an average across living arrangements. Published tuition and fees are $50,404 and room and board is $19,140.

Average aid savings amount to $23,115 against the sticker price. That average stands $18,803 above the peer median of $27,371 at comparable institutions with the same type and size.

Azimuth places the university in the 2nd percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer net price and low affordability placement point in the same direction: this is a comparatively expensive option after aid.

Affordability is the weakest pillar at Sacred Heart University, placing it in the 2nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $46,174, which is $18,803 above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

For the lowest income band, average net price is $38,691; for the highest band it is $48,217. Median federal debt among completers who borrowed is $25,000, $801 above the peer median of $24,199. Both measures exceed their peer medians.

For aid recipients, the lowest family-income band has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $38,691. The next band averages $40,517, followed by $41,647 in the middle band, $46,348 in the next-highest band, and $48,217 in the highest band.

Pell Grants reach 15.8% of undergraduates, offering financial-access context for the lowest band. Across the lowest and highest bands, the difference between average net prices is $9,526.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$38,691

**$30–48K**
$40,517

**$48–75K**
$41,647

**$75–110K**
$46,348

**$110K+**
$48,217

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$46,174**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$45,486

**Estimated parent payment**
$578/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=sacred-heart-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=sacred-heart-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.