Cost & financial aid brief
University of Massachusetts-Lowell Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Massachusetts-Lowell cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 44% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, but the pattern across income bands shows the discount is not spread evenly. The lowest-income band, families earning under $30,000, averages $9,943 after grants and scholarships.
The highest band, over $110,000, averages $26,139, a spread of $16,196 between the two ends. The middle bands step from $10,199 at $30,001–$48,000 to $12,141 at $48,001–$75,000 and $16,460 at $75,001–$110,000.
Aid is concentrated among lower-income families, with the lowest band paying less than half of what the highest band pays on average.
At University of Massachusetts-Lowell, the published cost of attendance is $30,786 (an average across living arrangements), with aid changing the picture sharply across family-income bands. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,943 in the lowest-income band, $10,199 in the lower-middle band, $12,141 in the middle band, $16,460 in the upper-middle band, and $26,139 in the highest-income band.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,196, and Azimuth ranks the university #507 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 44% of the published cost, an average savings of $13,623 that leaves an overall average net price of $17,163.
That average is $1,529 above the peer median net price of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $16,966 for in-state students and $36,264 for out-of-state students, so the listed price and aid averages point to different costs for different families.
Federal borrowing is widespread, with 93.3% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans; borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $23,704. The peer median debt is $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size), placing this median $3,628 above that benchmark.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $269 a month if repaid over ten years. Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $18,400.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowing is common among undergraduates at University of Massachusetts-Lowell, where 93.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $23,704.
At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $20,076, placing this median above by $3,628. Parent PLUS borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population; their median borrowing is $18,400.
In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 71% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $29,739 per borrower. Its figures include federal loans for 70% of graduates and private loans for 16% of graduates. Federal borrowers averaged $22,533, while private borrowers averaged $33,281.
The earnings picture at University of Massachusetts-Lowell is well above expectation, with median earnings of $81,163 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $15,392 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations is the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students; Azimuth places this result in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The program-mix earnings scenarios range from $55,362 in the downside case to $101,024 in the upside case, with $81,163 as the typical scenario. Median federal debt at completion is $23,704, above the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,628.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $269 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings exceed the model's expectation, while borrowing sits above the peer median.
For the separate population of parents using Parent PLUS, median federal borrowing was $18,400. The median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $269 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
- $18,400
- Estimated parent payment
- $234/mo
| 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.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $23,704
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $18,400
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $269/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $234/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $503/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 $81,163, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
5.5% 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.