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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Salisbury University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Salisbury University cost after financial aid?

The published cost of attendance at Salisbury University is $28,310. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,016 and required fees of $3,290 for the 2026-27 academic year.

Out-of-state tuition was $19,520, and on-campus food and housing were $14,190. Grants and scholarships reduce the sticker price by $10,567 for the average aid recipient.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $17,743, which is $3,675 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #535 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The bill after grants and scholarships is the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients. At Salisbury University, that amount is $17,743, $3,675 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,000 in federal loans.

That is $229 below the peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest income band average $6,743, and those in the highest band average $22,759.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is higher for students from families with greater income. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 pay an average of $6,743, while those in the $30,001–$48,000 band average $9,915.

The middle band ($48,001–$75,000) averages $12,909, the next-highest band ($75,001–$110,000) averages $16,669, and families earning over $110,000 average $22,759. 25.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing context for the lowest income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,016.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$6,743

**$30–48K**
$9,915

**$48–75K**
$12,909

**$75–110K**
$16,669

**$110K+**
$22,759

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$17,743**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships offset about 37% of the published cost, a savings of $10,567. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is what remains after that aid is applied, and it is higher for families with more income.

The lowest-income band averages $6,743, while the highest averages $22,759. The spread between those two ends is $16,016, a difference of averages across the bands, not a figure any one family should expect.

Aid is targeted toward lower incomes here, with the average net price climbing steadily through the middle bands. That pattern is a description of how aid is distributed on average, not a guarantee for an individual applicant.

The published cost of attendance is $28,310. Azimuth ranks Salisbury University #535 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $6,743, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,909, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $22,759. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,016.

Aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $17,743, which is $3,675 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $229 below the peer median of $21,229. 90.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $33,815 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month. It estimates costs and payments under different scenarios.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

The median federal student debt at completion is $21,000. That median sits $229 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month. Federal borrowing is widespread: 90.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parent borrowers are a separate population, with a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $33,815. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 52% of its 860 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $29,070 per borrower.

Of those graduates, 50% held federal loans, averaging $19,719. Of those graduates, 13% held private loans, including those who also borrowed federal loans, averaging $41,047.

The median for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled is $61,985 four years after graduating. That positions Salisbury University in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings are $4,684 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 27th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $50,919 on the downside through $61,985 for the typical case to $86,089 on the upside.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $21,000 in federal loans, which is $229 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month.

Earnings land above the peer median but below what the model expects, while debt sits almost exactly at the peer median.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $33,815. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 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**
$33,815

**Estimated parent payment**
$430/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 | 25.3% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 11.4% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 5.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.5% | 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=salisbury-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**
$21,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$33,815

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$239/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$430/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$669/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 $61,985, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.5%** 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=salisbury-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.