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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Washburn University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/washburn-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/washburn-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/washburn-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/washburn-university/majors/)

**On this page**+

## How much does Washburn University cost after financial aid?

Washburn University has a published cost of attendance of $21,512, with an affordability profile that is stronger in Azimuth’s ranking than in its comparison with similar schools. The published budget includes in-state tuition and fees of $9,945 and room and board of $11,501.

Out-of-state tuition and fees are $20,949. Among aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,280, and financial aid reduces the published cost by $6,232 on average.

At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068; Washburn is above that figure by $1,212. Azimuth ranks Washburn University #241 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The affordability picture is mixed: the Azimuth standing sits alongside a net price above the peer median.

Washburn University keeps median federal debt below the peer median while average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) sits slightly above. Azimuth places it in the 83rd percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Average net price, the cost after grants and scholarships, is $15,280. That is $1,212 above the peer median of $14,068 at comparable institutions (same type and size).

Among borrowers who completed, median federal debt is $18,127. That is $3,102 below the peer median of $21,229.

The lowest-income band averages $20,310 and the highest-income band averages $15,472.

For Washburn University, the lowest family-income band has the highest average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, at $20,310. The next income band averages $9,693, followed by $10,758 in the middle band, $13,922 in the next-highest band, and $15,472 in the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $4,838.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$20,310

**$30–48K**
$9,693

**$48–75K**
$10,758

**$75–110K**
$13,922

**$110K+**
$15,472

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$15,280**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The aid pattern does not place the lowest average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), 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](/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 $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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](#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**
$13,741

**Estimated parent payment**
$175/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 | 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=washburn-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**
$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

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=washburn-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.