Cost & financial aid brief
University of the Cumberlands Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of the Cumberlands cost after financial aid?
The sticker-to-net gap is substantial: aid reduces the published cost by $11,460 on average, covering about 45% of the sticker price for the typical aid recipient. The net price increases modestly with income.
The lowest-income band averages $10,736, while the highest band averages $18,846, a spread of $8,110 between the two ends. That compressed range suggests aid is distributed broadly rather than concentrated at the bottom.
The published cost of attendance is $25,567. Azimuth ranks University of the Cumberlands #114 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $10,736, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,572, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $18,846. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,110.
Aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $14,107, which is $13,264 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $14,911 in federal student loans. That is $9,288 below the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions.
83.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $11,623.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $169 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
At University of the Cumberlands, 83.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans, and those who complete leave with a median of $14,911. That median is $9,288 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $11,623.
University of the Cumberlands posts a median of $51,882 four years after completion, $16,368 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That figure sits at the 23rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates earn about $4,898 less than expects for similar students, a result at the 37th percentile. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $39,394 on the downside to $75,183 on the upside.
Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $14,911 in federal loans, $9,288 below the peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $169 a month.
The return picture is mixed: earnings sit below the peer median and below the model's expectation, while debt is lower than what comparable institutions carry.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $11,623. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $169 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
- $11,623
- Estimated parent payment
- $148/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | Caution |
| $100,000 | Safe |
| $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
- $14,911
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $11,623
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $169/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $148/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $317/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 $51,882, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.9% 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.