Cost & financial aid brief
Winston-Salem State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Winston-Salem State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a reduction of $9,668 from the sticker price. That is an average, not a promise for any particular family.
The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, with costs increasing through the middle and upper bands. The lowest band averages $11,463 against a published cost of $23,147, while the highest band averages $21,405.
The $9,942 spread describes a structure where aid narrows the gap between what families at different income levels pay, but does not eliminate it.
The published cost of attendance is $23,147. Azimuth ranks Winston-Salem State University #368 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
For families earning under $30,000, it averages $11,463; for those earning $48,001 to $75,000, it averages $14,681; and for those earning over $110,000, it averages $21,405. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,942.
Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $13,479, which is $589 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,000 in federal student loans. That is $3,771 above the $21,229 peer median.
91.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $12,030 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Most undergraduates at Winston-Salem State University borrow: 91.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who finish, the median federal student loan debt is $25,000.
That median is $3,771 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $12,030.
Winston-Salem State University graduates who are working and not enrolled four years after completion earn a median of $56,396. That places the median in the 37th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
It is also $905 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $5,367 more than expects for similar students.
The earnings beyond expectations are at the 72nd percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $40,361 on the downside to $85,595 on the upside, with $56,396 as the typical scenario.
Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,000 in federal loans, $3,771 above the peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $12,030. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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
- $12,030
- Estimated parent payment
- $153/mo
| 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.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $25,000
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $12,030
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $284/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $153/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $437/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 $56,396, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
10.1% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- 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, $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.
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.