Cost & financial aid brief
The University of Texas at El Paso Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does UTEP cost after financial aid?
For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $7,863; for those earning over $110,000, it reaches $18,282. The difference between these two averages is $10,419, a pattern that reflects larger aid offsets for lower-income households.
Between the extremes, the averages are $8,136 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $10,120 for $48,001–$75,000, and $14,093 for $75,001–$110,000. For all aided students combined, the average net price is $9,403, with aid covering about 53% of the published cost and lowering the sticker price by $10,433 on average.
The University of Texas at El Paso publishes a cost of attendance of $19,836, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition is $9,744 and out-of-state tuition is $25,502.
For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $7,863. Families in the $48,001–$75,000 band see an average net price of $10,120, and for families earning over $110,000 the average net price is $18,282.
Azimuth ranks the university #92 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid reduces the sticker price by an average of $10,433, bringing the average net price across all aid recipients to $9,403.
That figure is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $6,231. The published in-state tuition is $9,744, and room and board adds $10,864.
The median federal student debt at completion is $18,000, which is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,076. About 53.7% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
The median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $11,916. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for a graduate with the median federal debt is $205.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
53.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $18,000 in federal student debt, $2,076 below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $205 a month. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $11,916.
In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 43% of its 2,320 bachelor's graduates held federal loans, with an average cumulative federal principal of $18,295 per federal borrower.
The investment picture at The University of Texas at El Paso is shaped by earnings that outpace expectation and debt that runs below the median for comparable institutions. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,771, at the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $13,572 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that sits at the 89th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $43,822 in a downside case to $89,891 in an upside case, with a typical outcome of $58,771.
For borrowers who finish, the median federal student debt is $18,000. That figure is $2,076 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) and corresponds to an estimated payment of $205 a month if repaid over ten years.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $11,916. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $205.
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
- $11,916
- Estimated parent payment
- $151/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $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
- $18,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $11,916
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $205/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $151/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $356/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 $58,771, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.8% 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.