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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Rochester Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does University of Rochester cost after financial aid?

At University of Rochester, aid changes a published cost of attendance of $85,962 (an average across living arrangements) for recipients who qualify. Tuition and fees are $67,080, and room and board are $19,792.

For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $29,278, with average financial-aid savings of $56,684 against the sticker price. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; Rochester's average is above it by $1,907.

These averages describe aid recipients rather than a personal bill. Azimuth ranks University of Rochester #1,048 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The above-peer average net price and affordability rank point in the same direction.

Affordability is the weakest pillar for University of Rochester, at the 26th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $85,962 (an average across living arrangements).

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $29,278, which is $1,907 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Average net prices run from $9,678 for families earning under $30,000 to $46,801 for those earning over $110,000.

Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,000 in federal loans, $3,199 below the peer median (the median for comparable institutions) of $24,199.

Family income is closely associated with what aid recipients pay here. In the lowest income band, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $9,678; in the next band it is $12,185; in the middle band it is $21,087; in the next-highest band it is $27,883; and in the highest-income band it is $46,801.

17.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing financial-access context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $37,123.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,678

**$30–48K**
$12,185

**$48–75K**
$21,087

**$75–110K**
$27,883

**$110K+**
$46,801

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$29,278**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

At University of Rochester, the published cost of $85,962 (an average across living arrangements) falls to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $29,278. Average aid offsets $56,684, covering about 66% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

By family-income band, the average net price for aid recipients is $9,678 in the lowest band, $12,185 in the next band, $21,087 in the middle band, $27,883 in the next-highest band, and $46,801 in the highest band. The $37,123 spread between the lowest and highest bands is a difference of averages; lower average prices cluster in the lower-income bands, showing aid is more concentrated there.

Costs at University of Rochester vary sharply by family income despite a published cost of attendance of $85,962 (an average across living arrangements). The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,678 for the lowest family-income band; $12,185 for the next family-income band; $21,087 for the middle family-income band; $27,883 for the next-highest family-income band; and $46,801 for the highest family-income band.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $37,123. Azimuth ranks the university #1,048 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 66% of the published cost, or average savings of $56,684 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $29,278, which is $1,907 above the peer median of $27,371 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Published tuition and fees are $67,080, and room and board are listed at $19,792. Aid offsets much of the published price on average, though prices remain higher than the peer median.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,000, $3,199 below the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). 95.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $30,000.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Rochester, though debt at completion sits below the peer median. Among federal loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt was $21,000.

95.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the median was $24,199, placing the university below by $3,199.

Separate parent borrowers had median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $30,000. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 41% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative debt of $30,785 per borrower.

That reporting includes 39% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $17,677 per federal borrower. It also includes 10% of graduates with private loans, averaging $56,680 per private borrower.

University of Rochester pairs a strong earnings picture with debt that sits below its peer benchmark. Median earnings are $87,197 four years after completion, placing the university in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,997 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Program-mix earnings scenarios place the downside at $48,194 and the upside at $120,908, with the typical scenario matching the reported median. Median federal debt at completion is $21,000, below the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,199.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower debt point in the same direction.

For a separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $30,000; student borrowing is measured separately. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 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**
$30,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$381/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 | 22.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 10.1% | High pressure |
| $150,000 | 4.8% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 3.1% | 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-rochester#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**
$21,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$30,000

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$239/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$381/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$620/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 $87,197, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**4.5%** 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-rochester#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.