Cost & financial aid brief
Susquehanna University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Susquehanna University cost after financial aid?
Aid substantially reduces the published price for the average recipient, though the resulting cost remains above the comparable-school median. The published cost of attendance is $75,410 (an average across living arrangements), compared with an average net price of $28,819, a sticker-to-net gap of $46,591.
Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The income-band figures place the lowest average net prices in the lower and middle portions of the income range, with the highest average in the top band.
That pattern shows aid is associated with lower average net prices at lower family incomes, rather than setting a single price for every recipient. The gap from the published price is substantial, but the income pattern means families can face very different costs after aid.
The published cost of attendance at Susquehanna University is $75,410, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $59,850, and room and board are $16,100.
Azimuth ranks the university #1,248 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) is $19,757, for the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) it is $21,171, and for the highest band (over $110,000) it is $33,866.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $14,109. Aid covers about 62% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $46,591 against the sticker price.
The average net price for first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients is $28,819, which is $1,448 above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $27,000 in federal student loans, $2,801 above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions.
Nearly all undergraduates borrow, with a federal loan share of 97.7%. Parents who borrow through the federal Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $46,359.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month. It estimates your net price and projected debt, letting you weigh the cost against the earnings picture for your intended program.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread among undergraduates at Susquehanna University, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $27,000. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, placing the university's median $2,801 above that benchmark.
For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $46,359. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 72% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $47,429 per borrower.
That group includes 71% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $25,161 per borrower. It also includes 32% of graduates with private loans, averaging $52,063 per borrower.
The investment picture at Susquehanna University shows earnings trailing both expectation and the peer median. The median for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $58,506 four years after completion.
That is $9,744 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that earnings level sits in the 45th percentile.
Graduates earn about $13,562 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is at the 11th percentile.
Earnings scenarios for the program mix are $46,105 on the downside, $58,506 as the typical case, and $81,421 on the upside. The median federal debt for borrowers who finish is $27,000.
That amount is $2,801 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $307.
For parent borrowers using Parent PLUS, median borrowing is $46,359, a separate population from student federal-loan borrowers. 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
- $46,359
- Estimated parent payment
- $589/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 | 34.7% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 15.6% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 7.4% | Caution |
| $200,000 | 4.9% | 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
- $27,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $46,359
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $307/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $589/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $896/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 $58,506, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
10.7% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- 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.