Cost & financial aid brief
Saint Mary's College Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Saint Mary's College cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, but that average does not describe every award. Against the published cost of $66,478 (an average across living arrangements), the average net price of $25,292 leaves an average aid offset of $41,186.
Across family-income bands, average net prices move from $16,760 in the lowest band through $18,152, $21,014, and $23,680 to $30,443 in the highest band. The $13,683 difference between the lowest and highest bands shows a pattern of larger aid offsets at lower incomes, rather than a promise about any particular aid package.
The published cost of attendance at Saint Mary's College is $66,478 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,171 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,760 for families earning under $30,000, $18,152 for those earning $30,001 to $48,000, $21,014 for the $48,001 to $75,000 band, $23,680 for the $75,001 to $110,000 band, and $30,443 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,683.
Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $41,186 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $25,292, which is $2,945 above the median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,000 above the peer median of $25,000. 93.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $48,565 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
For federal-loan borrowers who completed at Saint Mary's College, median federal student loan debt is $27,000. Federal loans reach 93.4% of federal aid recipients, so borrowing is common on campus.
The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $25,000; Saint Mary's median is $2,000 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $48,565.
Federal borrowing is common, and completed borrowers carry debt above the peer midpoint.
Earnings are comparatively strong at Saint Mary's College, though its median federal debt is higher than the peer benchmark. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $69,406 four years after completion.
Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios put earnings at $50,058 in a downside case, $69,406 in the typical case, and $83,511 in an upside case; these are scenarios based on the program mix, not observed groups.
Median federal debt is $27,000, which is $2,000 above the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Higher earnings and higher borrowing point in different directions.
For parent borrowers, a separate population from student federal borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $48,565. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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
- $48,565
- Estimated parent payment
- $617/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $150,000 | Caution |
| $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
- $27,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $48,565
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $307/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $617/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $924/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 $69,406, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.9% 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.