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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Missouri-Kansas City Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-missouri-kansas-city/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does University of Missouri-Kansas City cost after financial aid?

University of Missouri-Kansas City presents a comparatively low average cost after aid, a point reinforced by its affordability standing. The published cost of attendance is $25,320 (an average across living arrangements).

In-state tuition and fees are $12,587, out-of-state tuition and fees are $30,227, and room and board are $15,452. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,310, with $12,010 in average savings against the sticker cost.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068; the university’s figure is $758 below. Azimuth ranks the university #215 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer comparison and Azimuth standing both point toward lower costs after aid.

University of Missouri-Kansas City has lower costs and borrowing than comparable benchmarks. First-time full-time Title IV aid recipients on a public in-state basis face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what they pay after grants and scholarships, of $13,310.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, making the university $758 below. Federal-loan borrowers who completed have median federal student loan debt of $18,750, $2,479 below the peer median of $21,229.

Average net price is $10,576 for families in the lowest income band and $18,877 for those in the highest. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Lower prices and lower borrowing point in the same direction.

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) stays near the lower end of the income range before increasing at higher family-income levels. From the lowest to highest family-income band, the averages are $10,576, $10,472, $12,613, $16,019, and $18,877.

Pell Grant recipients account for 26.4% of undergraduates, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. Across the endpoints, the spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,301.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$10,576

**$30–48K**
$10,472

**$48–75K**
$12,613

**$75–110K**
$16,019

**$110K+**
$18,877

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$13,310**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Pricing changes across the income range, with lower-income aid recipients facing smaller average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s than higher-income recipients. From a published cost of $25,320 (an average across living arrangements) to an average net price of $13,310, the sticker-to-net gap is $12,010 in average aid savings.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 47% of the published cost. Within the income bands, average net price is $10,576 for the lowest band, $10,472 for the next, $12,613 in the middle, $16,019 for the next-highest, and $18,877 for the highest.

That sequence shows an aid pattern with larger average offsets at lower income levels.

For aid recipients, the cost picture at University of Missouri-Kansas City starts well below its published cost of attendance of $25,320 (an average across living arrangements) for lower-income families. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $10,576 in the low-income family-income band, $10,472 in the lower-middle-income band, and $12,613 in the middle-income band.

It reaches $16,019 for the upper-middle-income band and $18,877 for the high-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,301.

Azimuth ranks the university #215 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 47% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $12,010.

Across all aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $13,310. That figure is $758 below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published in-state tuition and fees are $12,587, compared with $30,227 for out-of-state tuition and fees. The average price and the comparison with similar institutions both point toward lower costs for aid recipients.

Federal-loan borrowers who completed leave with median federal student loan debt of $18,750 at completion. That is $2,479 below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size), and 83.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $213 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing for parent borrowers is $18,462.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is common at University of Missouri-Kansas City, though the typical federal debt for completers sits below the comparable-school benchmark. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $18,750, and 83.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the median is $21,229; Missouri-Kansas City’s figure is $2,479 below. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $18,462.

Among federally aided graduates of University of Missouri-Kansas City who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $65,925. That median falls in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $9,483 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $45,717 on the downside to $86,500 on the upside. The typical earnings scenario lands at $65,925.

The median federal debt for borrowers who complete is $18,750. That amount sits $2,479 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $213 a month.

For parent borrowers, a separate population from student federal-loan borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing at University of Missouri-Kansas City is $18,462. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $213 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**
$18,462

**Estimated parent payment**
$235/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 13.8% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 6.2% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 3.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.9% | 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-missouri-kansas-city#parent-tool). [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**
$18,750

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$18,462

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$213/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$235/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$448/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 $65,925, with a $23,940 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, $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.

[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-of-missouri-kansas-city#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.