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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Virginia Commonwealth University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

## How much does Virginia Commonwealth University cost after financial aid?

For aid recipients, Virginia Commonwealth University sees its published price reduced substantially after aid. The published cost of attendance is $38,954, while the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,433.

Financial aid offsets $15,521 on average, and aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported $13,520 for in-state tuition, $3,720 in required fees, and $15,128 for on-campus food and housing for the 2025-26 academic year.

It reported $35,994 in out-of-state tuition, and 0.0% of full-time undergraduates paid more than the base charge. The average net price is $7,799 above the $15,634 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places affordability in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Virginia Commonwealth University costs aid recipients more than comparable institutions. Its average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,433, which is $7,799 above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

The lowest income band averages $17,512 and the highest band averages $32,739. Median federal student debt among completers who borrowed is $21,500, $1,424 above the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Both figures exceed their peer medians, aligning with an affordability pillar at the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid recipients in the lowest family-income band have an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $17,512, followed by $17,777 in the next band, $20,925 in the middle band, $24,691 in the next-highest band, and $32,739 in the highest band. Pell Grant recipients account for 31.2% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $15,227.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$17,512

**$30–48K**
$17,777

**$48–75K**
$20,925

**$75–110K**
$24,691

**$110K+**
$32,739

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$23,433**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

For aid recipients, Virginia Commonwealth University has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $23,433 against a published cost of $38,954, leaving an average aid offset of $15,521. Aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The lowest income band has an average net price of $17,512, compared with $32,739 in the highest band, showing larger price reductions in lower-income bands. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that during the 2024-25 academic year, first-year aid recipients with need had an average 29% of need met.

Their average need-based aid package was $19,344, including loans and work where awarded. Of 3,098 first-year students determined to have need, 243 had need fully met.

During the 2024-25 academic year, merit aid went to 930 first-year students, averaging $5,637.

Virginia Commonwealth University lists a published cost of attendance of $38,954, though actual costs vary by family income. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $17,512 for the lowest-income band, $17,777 for the lower-middle band, $20,925 for the middle-income band, $24,691 for the upper-middle band, and $32,739 for the high-income band.

The gap from lowest to highest is $15,227. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, with average aid savings of $15,521. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $23,433.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, placing the university's average net price $7,799 above that benchmark. Aid reduces the sticker price substantially, yet the remaining cost sits above the peer median.

Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500 among borrowers who finish. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, making the university's median $1,424 above that figure.

An estimated 90.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $23,585.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

At Virginia Commonwealth University, borrowing is widespread, and completed borrowers’ federal debt is above the comparable-school midpoint. 90.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. The peer median—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size)—is $20,076, leaving the university’s median $1,424 above it.

Separate parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $23,585. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 58% of graduates borrowed from any source, at an average cumulative $29,417 per borrower.

The reported borrowers include 56% of graduates with federal loans averaging $20,305. They also include 14% of graduates with private loans averaging $39,795.

Virginia Commonwealth University shows above-expected earnings, though its median debt sits above the comparable-institution benchmark. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,703 four years after completion, placing the university in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students. [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, stands in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings scenarios range from $48,501 in the downside case to $85,395 in the upside case, with $64,703 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500, $1,424 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and above-peer debt point in different directions.

For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, median federal borrowing is $23,585. For student borrowers who completed, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 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**
$23,585

**Estimated parent payment**
$300/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 | 17.7% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 7.9% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 3.8% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 2.5% | 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=virginia-commonwealth-university#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**
$21,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$23,585

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$244/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$300/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$544/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 $64,703, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**7.2%** 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=virginia-commonwealth-university#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.