Cost & financial aid brief
University of Pennsylvania Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Penn cost after financial aid?
For the average aid recipient, aid at University of Pennsylvania absorbs about 68% of the $89,028 sticker, a reduction of $60,329. The average net price is $28,699, below the median of $36,211 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $7,512.
The band pattern reflects aid concentrated on lower earners. Families under $30,000 see an average net price of -$3,012, a negative figure indicating that aid exceeds cost.
The averages are $316 for $30,001–$48,000, $10,439 for $48,001–$75,000, $25,476 for $75,001–$110,000, and $55,972 for families over $110,000. The spread between lowest and highest is $58,984.
Azimuth ranks the university #872 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, a placement that coincides with a high sticker price and large aid discounts for lower-income families.
The published cost of attendance at the University of Pennsylvania is $89,028, with tuition and fees at $68,686 and room and board at $19,174. For aid recipients from families earning under $30,000, the average net price is -$3,012, meaning aid exceeds the full cost for qualifying families.
The average net price for aid recipients from families earning $48,001–$75,000 is $10,439, and for aid recipients from families earning over $110,000 it is $55,972. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $58,984.
Azimuth ranks the university #872 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid provides an average savings of $60,329 against the sticker price, bringing the average net price for first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients to $28,699.
That figure is below the median of $36,211 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $7,512. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $15,715.
That median is below the peer median of $23,168 for comparable institutions, a difference of $7,453. About 75.7% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $33,124. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for the median federal debt is $179.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowers who complete a degree at University of Pennsylvania leave with a median of $15,715 in federal student loans. That is $7,453 below the $23,168 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Federal borrowing is common: 75.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $33,124 in Parent PLUS loans.
Graduates of the University of Pennsylvania earn about $21,035 more than expects for similar students. That outcome places the university in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The median earnings four years after completion reach $124,586, a figure in the 99th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios based on the university's program mix show a typical earnings level of $124,586, a downside scenario of $64,345, and an upside scenario of $203,421.
For borrowers who complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $15,715, which runs below the $23,168 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $179.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $33,124. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $179.
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
- $33,124
- Estimated parent payment
- $421/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
- $15,715
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $33,124
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $179/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $421/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $600/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 $124,586, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
2.1% 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.