1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [Virginia State University](/school/virginia-state-university/)
4.  /
5.  Cost & financial aid brief

Cost & financial aid brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# Virginia State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 1, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

Attending Virginia State University starts with a published budget of $27,661. That total includes $10,043 in tuition and fees for Virginia residents and $13,355 for housing and meals.

Out-of-state students see tuition and fees of $22,650. After grants and scholarships, the average aid recipient pays $15,840.

Aid covers about 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $11,821 off the sticker price. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits $1,772 above the $14,068 median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the university #590 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 58th percentile.

The published cost of attendance is $27,661. Aid recipients pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,840, $1,772 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Families earning under $30,000 average $13,220 after aid. Those earning over $110,000 average $25,508.

Borrowers who complete hold a median of $26,500 in federal loans. That amount is $5,271 above the peer median of $21,229.

Azimuth ranks the affordability pillar in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

About 72.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the population the lowest band applies to. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest income band (under $30,000) average $13,220.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $14,758 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $19,463 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, $22,223 for the $75,001–$110,000 band, and $25,508 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,288.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$13,220

**$30–48K**
$14,758

**$48–75K**
$19,463

**$75–110K**
$22,223

**$110K+**
$25,508

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$15,840**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, creating a sticker-to-net gap of $11,821. 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 rising from $13,220 in the lowest band to $25,508 in the highest.

The $12,288 spread shows lower net prices at lower incomes, a pattern consistent with need-based aid, though the average net price for the lowest-income families remains a material figure.

The published cost of attendance at Virginia State University is $27,661. Azimuth ranks the university #590 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 $13,220, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,463, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $25,508. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,288.

The average aid recipient sees $11,821 in savings against the published sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,840, which is $1,772 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

In-state tuition and fees are $10,043, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,650. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,500 in federal student loans, $5,271 above the $21,229 peer median.

93.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,181 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 a month.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Nearly every undergraduate at Virginia State University borrows: 93.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student debt is $26,500.

That median is $5,271 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,181 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans.

The return picture at Virginia State University is mixed. Graduates earn about $94 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, a result at the 55th percentile.

The raw earnings median four years after completion is $51,739. That figure is $5,562 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

It places at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a range from a downside of $39,511 to an upside of $73,380, with a typical scenario of $51,739.

On the cost side, borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,500 in federal loans, which is $5,271 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 a month if repaid over ten years.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $22,181. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 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**
$22,181

**Estimated parent payment**
$282/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Income | Risk level |
| --- | --- |
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $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**
$26,500

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$22,181

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$301/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$282/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$583/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 $51,739, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**12.4%** of income above the allowance · Concerning

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12%
3.  Concerning 12–20% · selected scenario
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=virginia-state-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.