Cost & financial aid brief
University of Kansas Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Kansas cost after financial aid?
The University of Kansas publishes a sticker price of $26,751, but the average aid recipient pays an average net price of $18,059—what students actually owe after grants and scholarships. That means aid covers about 32% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $8,692 against the sticker total.
The pattern across income bands shows aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes. The average net price starts at $12,544 for families earning under $30,000, moves to $12,942 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $15,154 for $48,001–$75,000, $19,169 for $75,001–$110,000, and reaches $22,544 for families earning over $110,000.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,000, a difference of averages that reflects how the largest discounts flow to the lowest-income families. The overall average net price sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $2,425.
The lowest-income bands see prices well below the overall average, so affordability here depends heavily on where a family falls on the income scale.
The published cost of attendance at the University of Kansas is $26,751, with in-state tuition and fees of $12,102 and room and board at $11,358. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $12,544.
For the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) it is $15,154, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $22,544. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,000.
Azimuth ranks the university #550 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 32% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $8,692 against the sticker price.
The average net price across all aid recipients is $18,059, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,425. Out-of-state students face a higher published tuition of $30,432, though individual aid packages can shift the final cost.
Graduates who borrow federal loans leave with a median federal student debt of $21,000, and 89.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That median is above the peer median of $20,076 by $924.
For a graduate at the median four-year earnings, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS carry a separate median of $32,347.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
The University of Kansas combines a high borrowing rate with a median federal debt figure that sits close to the peer median. About 89.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and among those who complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $21,000.
That median is above the peer median of $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $924. For a separate population of parent borrowers, the median Parent PLUS loan is $32,347.
Graduates of the University of Kansas earn about $9,632 more than expects for similar students, a result that places the university in the 82nd percentile nationally. The median earnings four years after completion reach $69,680, which is above the peer median of $65,610 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,070.
Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show how earnings can differ: a typical scenario lands at $69,680, while a downside case falls to $51,954 and an upside case reaches $94,358. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median federal debt of $21,000, which corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years.
The earnings picture is strong: graduates beat the model's expectation and sit above the peer median, while the debt load is only slightly above the peer figure.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $32,347. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $239.
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
- $32,347
- Estimated parent payment
- $411/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | High pressure |
| $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
- $21,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $32,347
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $239/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $411/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $650/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 $69,680, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.1% 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.