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Cost & financial aid brief

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# Youngstown State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

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

**On this page**+

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

Youngstown State University publishes a cost of attendance of $21,708, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition and fees are $11,113 and room and board are $11,730.

Out-of-state tuition and fees are $11,473, a modest premium over the in-state rate. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $12,767, a savings of $8,941 against the sticker total.

That average net price sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,301. Azimuth ranks the university #358 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 75th percentile.

Affordability is the strongest pillar for Youngstown State University, sitting in the 75th percentile 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 $12,767, which is $1,301 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $9,328, while those from families earning over $110,000 average $18,235. Borrowers who complete a degree hold a median of $24,000 in federal student loans, $2,771 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s by family-income band show a progressive structure. For families earning under $30,000 the average net price is $9,328; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $9,421; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $13,369; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $16,249; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $18,235.

Pell Grant recipients make up 33.8% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,907.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$9,328

**$30–48K**
$9,421

**$48–75K**
$13,369

**$75–110K**
$16,249

**$110K+**
$18,235

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$12,767**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The published cost of attendance at Youngstown State University is $21,708 (an average across living arrangements), and the average aid recipient pays $12,767. That is a savings of $8,941, meaning aid covers about 41% of the sticker price for the average recipient.

The pattern across income bands shows aid targeting that keeps costs relatively close together. Families earning under $30,000 average $9,328, while those in the highest band, over $110,000, average $18,235.

The spread between the two ends is $8,907, which suggests that grant aid offsets a larger share of the cost at the bottom of the income scale.

Youngstown State University publishes a cost of attendance of $21,708, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition and fees are $11,113, and room and board are $11,730.

The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $9,328 for families earning under $30,000, $13,369 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, and $18,235 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,907.

Azimuth ranks the university #358 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 41% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $8,941 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $12,767, which sits below the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,301. Out-of-state students face tuition and fees of $11,473, a modest premium over the in-state rate.

The median federal student debt at completion is $24,000, with 83.6% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. That debt is above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions by $2,771, and corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate population of parent borrowers, is $16,900.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Borrowing is common at Youngstown State University and the amounts are moderate, though the typical federal debt load runs a bit higher than the peer median. About 83.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and among those who complete a degree the median federal student debt is $24,000.

That median is above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,771. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $16,900.

Graduates of Youngstown State University earn about $1,093 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that lands in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion are $56,047, which sits in the 36th percentile.

That figure is below the peer median of $57,301 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,254. Earnings scenarios based on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $42,057 and an upside scenario of $80,351.

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median federal debt of $24,000, which is above the $21,229 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years.

The return picture is mixed: graduates beat the model's expectations, yet the median earnings figure sits below the peer median, and the typical debt load is above what peers carry.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $16,900. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $273.

[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**
$16,900

**Estimated parent payment**
$215/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 | 12.7% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.7% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.7% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.8% | 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=youngstown-state-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**
$24,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$16,900

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

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$273/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$215/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$488/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 $56,047, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**10.2%** of income above the allowance · Good

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
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=youngstown-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.