Cost & financial aid brief
University of Massachusetts-Boston Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Massachusetts-Boston cost after financial aid?
For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 42% of the published cost, leaving the average net price at $17,707 rather than the $30,544 (an average) sticker price. The resulting aid offset is $12,837.
Pricing differs sharply by family income: the lowest band averages $14,070, compared with $25,571 for the highest band. Between those endpoints, average net prices are $13,558, $15,663, and $20,885 across the intervening bands.
The $11,501 spread between the lowest and highest bands is a difference of averages, and the pattern shows larger aid reductions in the lower-income bands.
A published cost of attendance of $30,544 (an average) sets the starting price at University of Massachusetts-Boston, but aid recipients face different average net prices by family-income band. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $14,070 in the lowest family-income band, $13,558 in the lower-middle band, $15,663 in the middle band, $20,885 in the upper-middle band, and $25,571 in the highest band.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,501. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 42% of the published cost, with average financial aid savings of $12,837. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $17,707, which is $2,073 above the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size).
In-state tuition and fees are $15,908, out-of-state tuition and fees are $38,125, and room and board are $19,128. The higher average price than comparable institutions sits alongside aid that offsets a substantial part of the published cost.
Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,974, and 80.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $1,898 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,163.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at University of Massachusetts-Boston, making completion debt relevant for a large share of undergraduates. Federal loans are used by 80.2% of federal aid recipients.
Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,974. The median is $1,898 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS debt is $17,163.
For University of Massachusetts-Boston, earnings beyond expectations stand alongside federal borrowing above the peer median. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $69,532 four years after completion, in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $16,376 more than expects for similar students. , the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Program-mix earnings scenarios range from $53,122 in the downside scenario to $92,751 in the upside scenario, with $69,532 in the typical scenario. For borrowers, median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,974, $1,898 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and above-peer borrowing point in different directions.
At University of Massachusetts-Boston, parent borrowing is separate from student federal debt: the median Parent PLUS borrowing for parent borrowers is $17,163. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 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
- $17,163
- Estimated parent payment
- $218/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 | 12.9% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.8% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.7% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.8% | 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
- $21,974
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $17,163
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $250/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $218/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $468/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 $69,532, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.6% 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.