Cost & financial aid brief
Worcester State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Worcester State University cost after financial aid?
Aid reaches furthest at the lower end of the family-income range, where average prices sit well below those in the highest band. For the average aid recipient, the published cost of $22,874 (an average across living arrangements) becomes an average net price of $13,381 after $9,493 in aid.
Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across the income bands, average net prices run from $8,793 in the lowest band to $19,679 in the highest, with $9,629, $9,540, and $13,658 in the intervening bands.
That ordering shows lower average prices at lower family incomes, though an individual award can differ from the band average. The sticker-to-net reduction and the income pattern point in the same direction.
The published cost of attendance at Worcester State University is $22,874 (an average across living arrangements), and average net prices for aid recipients differ by family-income band. The averages are $8,793 for the lowest band, $9,629 for the lower-middle band, $9,540 for the middle band, $13,658 for the upper-middle band, and $19,679 for the highest band.
The spread between the lowest and highest is $10,886. Azimuth ranks Worcester State University #218 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $9,493 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $13,381, which is $687 below the peer median of $14,068 at comparable institutions (same type and size).
Published in-state tuition is $11,786, compared with out-of-state tuition of $17,866. The average price and the peer comparison both point toward lower costs for aid recipients.
Federal loan borrowing is widespread, but the typical completed borrower carries less debt than the comparable-institution median. Borrowers who completed have median federal student loan debt of $19,500, and 88.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years. It is $1,729 below the peer median debt of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size).
Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,518.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Federal borrowing is widespread at Worcester State University, with 88.9% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $19,500.
That median is $1,729 below the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size). For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,518.
For an investment decision, above-expected earnings sit alongside debt below the comparable-college benchmark at Worcester State University. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,801 four years after completion, placing the university in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what expects for similar students, are in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,102 more than the model expects for similar students.
The earnings scenarios run from $50,178 in the downside case to $79,315 in the upside case, with the typical scenario at the observed median. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $19,500, $1,729 below the peer median of $21,229, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).
That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower peer-relative debt point in the same direction.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $17,518. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $222 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
- $17,518
- Estimated parent payment
- $223/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $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
- $19,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $17,518
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $222/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $223/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $445/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 $63,801, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
6.5% 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, $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.