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Net price by income · cited to federal data

What college costs all aided students

Pick your family-income band, then search any U.S. college to see the net price students in that band actually paid after aid — not the sticker price almost nobody pays.

$0–30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110k$110k+All students

Net price for all aided students · largest colleges by enrollment — or search above

Informational only — an income-band average from federal data, not an offer of aid or a substitute for a school’s official net price calculator or professional advice.

How we calculate net price by income

Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard — the same data every college is federally required to report. We show each school’s latest reporting year as reported.

Net price is the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board, books, and living expenses) minus the average grant and scholarship aid awarded — what a typical aided student actually pays. The Department reports it split into five family-income bands because need-based aid depends heavily on income. Choosing a band above filters every result to the net price students in that income range paid; the crossed-out figure on each card is the sticker cost of attendance, for contrast.

Scope & limitations

  • ~2-year lag. Federal cost data is historical by design — each card states its reporting year. It’s a benchmark, not a live quote.
  • An average, not your price. Each band figure is the average across aided students in that income range — not a personalized estimate.
  • Coverage gaps. Some bands (and some small schools) have too few reported students to publish a net price; those show as not reported rather than guessed.

Source

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (latest reporting year 2023). Open any school for its full net-price-by-income breakdown and trend over time.

Last reviewed: July 2026

Frequently asked questions

What does “net price by income” mean?

Net price is what a student actually pays after grant and scholarship aid is subtracted from the full cost of attendance — tuition, fees, room, board, books and living costs. The U.S. Department of Education reports it separately for five family-income bands, because most aid is need-based: a family earning $0–30k typically pays far less than one earning $110k+ at the same school. This tool lets you pick your income band first, then see what students in that band actually paid at any college.

Why pick an income band instead of just looking at the average?

Because the single all-students average hides the spread. At many colleges the net price for the lowest income band is a fraction of the average, while the highest band pays close to the sticker. Filtering by the band closest to your own family income gives you a far more realistic picture of what a school would actually cost you than the headline average does.

Is the figure for my income band what I would pay?

No. Each band figure is a historical average across aided students in that income range for a past entering cohort — an income-band average, not a personal quote. Your own price depends on your specific finances, the year you enroll, and the aid the school offers you. For a personalized estimate use the college's official net price calculator. This tool is informational only.

Why is the net price blank for some schools in my band?

Where a college has too few reported aid recipients in an income band to publish a net price, the Department of Education withholds it, and we show a dash (—) rather than guessing. Smaller schools and the extreme income bands are the most likely to have gaps. Open the school's full cost page to see which bands it does report.

Related tools

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For any U.S. college, the net price students at each family-income level actually pay after aid — versus the sticker — tracked and cited to federal data.

Open tool →College Cost Comparison

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Open tool →Tuition Trend & Inflation

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Cost of Attendance BreakdownSoon

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