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Cost & financial aid brief

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# University of Wisconsin-Parkside Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

The published cost of attendance at University of Wisconsin-Parkside is $18,199. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,978 and required fees of $1,552 for the 2025-26 academic year.

On-campus food and housing added $9,341 to the sticker charge. Nonresidents faced tuition of $16,137.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships — is $11,772. That is $2,296 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #190 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 35% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

Only 2.5% of full-time undergraduates paid more than the base tuition and fees, according to the university's 2024-25 Common Data Set.

Affordability is the strongest pillar for University of Wisconsin-Parkside, in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) — what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships — is $11,772, which is $2,296 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $10,492. Families earning under $30,000 average $7,425, and those earning over $110,000 average $17,917.

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,492 in federal student loans, $737 below the peer median of $21,229 — the median for comparable institutions. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is higher for higher family-income bands. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 pay an average of $7,425, while those in the $30,001–$48,000 band average $7,592.

The middle band ($48,001–$75,000) averages $11,241, the next-highest band ($75,001–$110,000) averages $15,071, and the highest band (over $110,000) averages $17,917. 35.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,492.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$7,425

**$30–48K**
$7,592

**$48–75K**
$11,241

**$75–110K**
$15,071

**$110K+**
$17,917

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$11,772**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

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 price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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 average net price 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $13,139.

The return picture at University of Wisconsin-Parkside is mixed. Graduates earn about $5,459 less than the model 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#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**
$13,139

**Estimated parent payment**
$167/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
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, $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.

[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-parkside#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.