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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire cost after financial aid?

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $16,550, which is $2,482 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 24% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The published cost of attendance is $21,705. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,328 and required fees of $1,879 for the 2025-26 academic year, with on-campus food and housing adding $8,968.

Out-of-state students faced tuition of $18,393. Azimuth ranks the university #357 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the cost picture is mixed: prices run higher than peers, while borrower debt is slightly lower. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,550.

That is $2,482 above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $14,068. Median federal student loan debt for borrowers who completed is $20,909, $320 below the comparable-institution median of $21,229.

Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Families in the lowest income band have an average net price of $10,270, compared with $20,778 for families in the highest income band.

Higher prices and lower borrower debt pull the peer comparisons in different directions.

Published prices differ across the family-income bands. The lowest band has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $10,270, followed by $10,968, $12,766, $18,278, and $20,778 as family income moves through the remaining bands.

19.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, which provides context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,508.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$10,270

**$30–48K**
$10,968

**$48–75K**
$12,766

**$75–110K**
$18,278

**$110K+**
$20,778

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$16,550**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid reduces the published cost for the average aid recipient, but the size of that reduction varies by family income. Aid covers about 24% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Against the $21,705 published cost, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $16,550, leaving an average aid offset of $5,155. The average net price starts at $10,270 in the lowest income band, then runs $10,968, $12,766, and $18,278 before reaching $20,778 in the highest band.

The $10,508 spread between the endpoints is a difference of band averages. This pricing pattern shows larger average aid offsets in the lower income bands.

The published cost of attendance at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $21,705. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay—is $10,270 for families earning under $30,000, $12,766 for those in the $48,001 to $75,000 band, and $20,778 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,508. Azimuth ranks the university #357 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 24% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an overall average net price of $16,550. That figure is $2,482 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The average net price for families in the $30,001 to $48,000 band is $10,968, and for the $75,001 to $110,000 band it is $18,278. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $20,909 in federal student loans, which is $320 below the $21,229 peer median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $12,452.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: 90.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,909.

The peer median federal debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229; the university's median is below that figure by $320. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,452.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 58% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $26,464 per borrower. This included 57% of graduates with federal loans averaging $19,149. It also included 13% of graduates with private loans averaging $26,268.

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the return picture is mixed: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $60,838 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,338 less 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 36th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put earnings at $47,639 in a downside scenario, $60,838 in the typical scenario, and $84,199 in an upside scenario. Median federal debt is $20,909, below the $21,229 peer median; that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years.

The debt comparison is favorable, but earnings sit below the model’s expectation.

Separate from student borrowers, the parent-borrower population has median federal borrowing of $12,452. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 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**
$12,452

**Estimated parent payment**
$158/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 | 9.3% | Caution |
| $100,000 | 4.2% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.0% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.3% | 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-wisconsin-eau-claire#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**
$20,909

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$12,452

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$238/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$158/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$396/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 $60,838, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.7%** 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-wisconsin-eau-claire#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.