Cost & financial aid brief
Sonoma State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Sonoma State University cost after financial aid?
For the average aid recipient, grants and scholarships reduce the published cost by $11,763, covering about 48% of the sticker price. The average net price moves with family income.
The lowest band, under $30,000, averages $8,310, while the highest, over $110,000, averages $21,195. The spread between the two ends is $12,885.
That pattern shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, with the figure rising across the bands. The pricing structure asks more of families with greater resources while keeping costs lower for those with less.
The published cost of attendance at Sonoma State University is $24,648 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #198 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) average $8,310, those in the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) average $10,741, and those in the highest band (over $110,000) average $21,195. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,885.
Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,885, which is $1,183 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $16,705 in federal student loans. That is $4,524 below the $21,229 peer median.
About 74.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,986 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing reaches 74.0% of federal aid recipients, and the debt load is lighter than peers. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $16,705 in federal student loans, $4,524 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $27,986 in Parent PLUS loans.
Graduates of Sonoma State University earn about $10,523 more than expects for similar students, an outcome in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion is $65,997, which sits above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,696.
That median lands in the 68th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $54,134 and an upside scenario of $88,922, with the typical scenario matching the median earnings figure.
Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $16,705, which is below the $21,229 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $190 a month if repaid over ten years.
Above-expected earnings and below-peer debt point the same way here: graduates tend to earn more than the model predicts while carrying less federal debt than graduates of comparable schools.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $27,986. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $190.
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
- $27,986
- Estimated parent payment
- $356/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 | 21.0% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 9.4% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 4.5% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.9% | 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
- $16,705
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $27,986
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $190/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $356/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $546/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 $65,997, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.4% 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.