Cost & financial aid brief
Washburn University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Washburn University cost after financial aid?
The aid pattern does not place the lowest average net price in the lowest-income band. Against the published cost of $21,512, the average net price is $15,280, leaving a sticker-to-net gap of $6,232.
Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the bands in income order, average net prices are $20,310, $9,693, $10,758, $13,922, and $15,472.
The pattern varies by income band rather than following a simple income-targeted price pattern; the next-lowest band has the lowest listed average net price.
The published cost of attendance at Washburn University is $21,512. Azimuth ranks the university #241 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,310 for families earning under $30,000, $9,693 for those earning $30,001 to $48,000, $10,758 for the $48,001 to $75,000 band, $13,922 for the $75,001 to $110,000 band, and $15,472 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $4,838.
Financial aid saves the average recipient $6,232 off the published cost. The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,280, which is $1,212 above the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).
In-state tuition and fees are $9,945, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $20,949. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $18,127 in federal student loans.
That is $3,102 below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions. 81.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $13,741 in Parent PLUS loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $206 a month.
It estimates what a family might pay at this school based on their own finances.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Borrowers who complete a degree at Washburn University leave with a median of $18,127 in federal student loans. That median is $3,102 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Federal borrowing is common: 81.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $13,741.
Four years after completing a degree, Washburn University graduates earn a median of $56,774, at the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $527 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
The return picture sharpens when measured against expectations. Graduates earn about $8,155 more than expects for similar students, an outcome at the 79th percentile.
Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $43,773 in a downside case to $78,919 in an upside case. The typical earnings scenario is $56,774.
On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $18,127, which is $3,102 below the peer median of $21,229. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $206 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $13,741. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $206 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
- $13,741
- Estimated parent payment
- $175/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 10.3% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 4.6% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.2% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.4% | 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. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $18,127
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $13,741
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $206/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $175/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $381/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 $56,774, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
7.5% of income above the allowance · Excellent
- Excellent Under 8% · selected scenario
- Good 8–under 12%
- 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, $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.
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.