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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University at Albany Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does UAlbany cost after financial aid?

At University at Albany, the published cost of attendance is $28,802, with in-state tuition and fees of $10,866 and room and board of $16,423. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $31,256.

For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,167. Aid reduces the published cost by $11,635 on average.

That net price is above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $15,634 by $1,533. Azimuth places affordability in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid brings the published price down, though the average net price remains above the comparable-school median.

For aid recipients at University at Albany, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what they pay after grants and scholarships—is $17,167. That is $1,533 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the affordability pillar sits in the 72nd percentile. Federal-loan borrowers who completed carry median federal student loan debt of $19,500, $576 below the comparable-institution median.

For the lowest-income band, average net price is $11,112, while the highest-income band is $24,085. The affordability picture is mixed: net price runs above the peer median while typical federal borrowing runs lower.

43.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, which sets the context for the lowest income band. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $11,112.

The next band, $30,001–$48,000, averages $14,062; the $48,001–$75,000 band averages $17,923; the $75,001–$110,000 band averages $20,037; and families earning over $110,000 average $24,085. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,973.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$11,112

**$30–48K**
$14,062

**$48–75K**
$17,923

**$75–110K**
$20,037

**$110K+**
$24,085

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$17,167**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the sticker price of $28,802 down to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $17,167. The pattern across income bands is a steady step rather than a sharp break.

The lowest band averages $11,112, and each band above adds a few thousand dollars, reaching $24,085 at the top. That structure means aid is targeted but does not flatten the price curve entirely.

At University at Albany, the published cost of attendance is $28,802, and aid recipients in lower-income bands face lower average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,112 for the lowest family-income band, $14,062 for the next family-income band, $17,923 for the middle family-income band, $20,037 for the next-highest family-income band, and $24,085 for the highest family-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,973. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 40% of the published cost, or average savings of $11,635 against the sticker price. For all aid recipients, average net price comes to $17,167.

The peer median net price for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $15,634, with the university $1,533 above that benchmark. Published in-state tuition is $10,866, out-of-state tuition is $31,256, and room and board is $16,423.

Aid offsets a portion of published costs, though the overall price sits above the comparable-institution median. Federal-loan borrowers who complete leave with median federal student loan debt of $19,500.

The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, making the university $576 below it; 88.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing for parent borrowers is $22,398.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Borrowing is widespread at University at Albany, though typical federal debt at completion is below the peer benchmark. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $19,500.

Federal loans are used by 88.0% of federal aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $20,076, making Albany’s median $576 below it.

For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, median borrowing is $22,398.

The median for federally aided graduates of University at Albany who are working and not enrolled four years after completion is $66,256. That earnings level falls at the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

It is $646 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $595 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

That outcome sits at the 57th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios span $53,159 on the downside and $83,389 on the upside; the typical outcome is $66,256.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $19,500 in federal loans, $576 below the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $22,398. For borrowers with the median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 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**
$22,398

**Estimated parent payment**
$285/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |

The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. [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**
$19,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$22,398

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$222/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$285/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$507/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 $66,256, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**6.1%** 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, $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.

[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=university-at-albany#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.