Cost & financial aid brief
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does University of Wisconsin-Parkside cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 35% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, reducing the sticker price by $6,427 on average. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, with costs increasing across the listed income range.
The lowest band averages $7,425 against a published cost of $18,199, while the highest band averages $17,917. The $10,492 spread describes a structure where aid is larger for lower-income families, though published charges remain the starting point before grants and scholarships are applied.
The published cost of attendance is $18,199, and affordability is the strongest of the university's four pillars. Azimuth ranks University of Wisconsin-Parkside #190 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 $7,425, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $11,241, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $17,917. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,492.
Aid saves the average recipient $6,427 off the published cost. The across all aid recipients is $11,772, which is $2,296 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
81.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $20,492 in federal student loans.
That is $737 below the peer median of $21,229. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $13,139.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is common at University of Wisconsin-Parkside: 81.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,492, which is $737 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median Parent PLUS borrowing of $13,139.
The return picture at University of Wisconsin-Parkside is mixed. Graduates earn about $5,459 less than expects for similar students, a result at the 35th percentile.
The median earnings of $55,184 four years after completion rank at the 33rd percentile and sit below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $42,156 on the downside to $72,232 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $55,184.
On the cost side, the picture is clearer. Borrowers who finish leave with a median of $20,492 in federal loans, $737 below the peer median of $21,229.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years. The university combines a low net price with below-expected earnings.
The median federal student debt at completion is $20,492, below the peer median of $21,229 by $737.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,139. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 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
- $13,139
- Estimated parent payment
- $167/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
- $20,492
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $13,139
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $233/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $167/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $400/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 $55,184, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
8.6% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- 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.