Cost & financial aid brief
University of Houston-Downtown Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does UH Downtown cost after financial aid?
55.2% of undergraduates at University of Houston-Downtown receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that accompanies the university's pricing structure. The average aid recipient pays $10,542, after aid offsets roughly 49% of the $20,749 sticker price, or $10,207 on average.
By income band, average net prices are $9,439 for families earning under $30,000, $10,048 for $30,001–$48,000, $11,247 for $48,001–$75,000, $15,488 for $75,001–$110,000, and $19,380 for those earning over $110,000. The $9,941 spread between the lowest and highest bands coincides with lower out-of-pocket costs for lower-income families.
The published cost of attendance at University of Houston-Downtown is $20,749. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,439; for those in the $48,001–$75,000 band, it is $11,247; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $19,380.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,941. Azimuth ranks the university #110 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average offset of $10,207. The average net price across all aid recipients is $10,542, which is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,092.
The median federal student loan debt at completion is $18,750, with about 62.8% of federal aid recipients borrowing. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions by $1,326.
The median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $10,000. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $213 a month if repaid over ten years.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
About 62.8% of federal aid recipients at University of Houston-Downtown take federal student loans, and among borrowers who complete a degree the median federal debt is $18,750. That median runs below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $1,326.
For parent borrowers, a separate population, the median Parent PLUS loan is $10,000. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 36% of the 506 bachelor's graduates in the cohort borrowed from any source.
The average cumulative principal per borrower was $18,808. Federal loans accounted for most of that borrowing: 35% of graduates held federal debt, averaging $18,184, including 2% who also held private loans, averaging $27,973.
Four years after completing a degree at University of Houston-Downtown, the median earnings among working graduates who are not enrolled are $60,550. That figure is at the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
That median sits below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $8,642 more than expects for similar students, a result that places the university in the 80th percentile nationally.
Earnings scenarios estimated from the university's program mix range from $50,385 in a downside case to $70,901 in an upside case, with a typical scenario of $60,550. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $18,750, which is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $213.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $10,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $213.
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
- $10,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $127/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 | 7.5% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 3.4% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 1.6% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.0% | 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
- $18,750
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $10,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $213/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $127/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $340/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 $60,550, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.0% 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.