Quad

Cost & aid

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $25,620 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $1.3K more than the national median. The 100% who received grants paid $25,562 on average; the other 0% paid the full sticker price of $65,225.

−16% after inflation since 2013–14Over time
Full price
$65,225 a year
tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid
Published data end at $110K
use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid
37% · avg $39K
of first-years without need got merit aid

Cost by family income

Per year for a typical family of four with one child in college. Up to $110K it is the average price federal aid recipients paid (2023–24).

Hover, tap, or use the arrow keys to read the price at an income.

$0$20K$40K$60K$0$100K$200K$300K$400K+Full price $65KPublished data end at $110KUse the college's calculatorMerit: $26K
  • Published federal figures
  • With an average merit award: $26K · 37% got one. A possibility, not a promise
View as a table
Price per year by family income
Family incomePrice per year
$0–30K$17K a year
$30–48K$14K a year
$48–75K$18K a year
$75–110K$19K a year
$150KPublished data end at $110K
$200KPublished data end at $110K
$250KPublished data end at $110K
$300KPublished data end at $110K
$350KPublished data end at $110K
$400K and abovePublished data end at $110K
$150K a year

At $150K: Published data end at $110K

Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for a number.

Your own number depends on the details below, so use the college's calculator for it.

What can change this

  • Savings and investments above a typical amount raise the price. The curve assumes typical assets.
Average total cost per year, all first-years (est.)

$25,620

Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24

Full price$65,225
− Grants, averaged over every first-year−$39,605

100% got grants averaging $39,605; 0% got none.

= Average total cost$25,620
Tuition & fees$49.1KRoom & board$13.3KBooks & supplies$1.3KOther expenses$1.6K

Who pays what

Received grants · 100%$25,562 averagenet price after grants
No grants · 0%$65,225full sticker price

Share of first-year students, 2023–24.

Compared to all colleges$25,620
National median: $24,284About typical

Housing and food use the college's on-campus rates, so the estimate runs high where many students live at home. “Other expenses” is the college's estimate of personal and transportation costs. Loans aren't subtracted because they're repaid.

Next year (2026–27), reported by Wabash College

$70,100 before aid

Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · up 12% from 2023–24.

Show the full next-year estimate
  • Tuition, fees, food & housing$70,100
  • Books and supplies$1,300
  • Transportation$650
  • Other expenses$1,600
  • Total for a student living on campus$73,650
Median debt at graduation

$27K

≈ $286/month for 10 years

Payback estimate

1.5 yrs

of median salary to cover 4 years of net price

Undergrads with a federal loan62%
National median: 45%Above typical

62% of undergrads borrow federally.

Median federal debt, by background

Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.

Pell Grant recipients$24,908
No Pell Grant$23,970
Family income under $30K$21,500
$30K–$75K$23,073
Over $75K$26,868

Three years into repayment

Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.

  • Paid in full15–19%
  • Paying it down35–39%
  • Payments paused20–28%
  • Not paying it down15–19%
  • Behind or in default0–10%
  • Forgiven or discharged0–5%

Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.

Who actually gets aid

61%of full price

Aid generosity

Very generous

Grants cover 61% of the $65,225 full price on average across all first-years (very generous), more than at 95% of colleges. The sticker price overstates what most students here actually pay.

$39,605 in grants per first-year ÷ $65,225 full price.

Compared to every college61%
61%
← Limitedmore generous than 95% of 1,514Very generous →

Who gets grants and scholarships

Full-time first-year students (229), 2023–24

Received grants or scholarships, avg $39,605 No grants

Where the aid comes from

From the college100% · avg $37K
Pell Grants21% · avg $5.6K
State or local grants13%
Student loans67% · avg $8.7K

Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.

Aid by family income

The whole first-year class (229)

  • Federal aid + grants164avg grant $40.8K
  • Grants, no federal aid65avg grant $36.6K
  • No grants0pay full price

Students with grants but no federal aid usually got the college's own need-based aid (without federal loans or Pell) or merit aid.

By family income: only students who received federal aid (164 of 229), because income is only reported for them.

IncomeStudentsAvg grant
$0–30K14$48.6K
$30–48K12$51.6K
$48–75K21$47K
$75–110K30$46.5K
$110K+87$34.6K

From Wabash College's Common Data Set

First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2025–26 (estimated).

First-yearsAll full-time
Have financial need63%166 students63%568 students
Need met, on average94%92%
Need fully met63%59%
Average aid package$54,438$51,208
Average need-based grant$47,705$43,409
Average need-based loan$3,304$4,397
Merit aid without need37%average $39,10536%average $35,546

38% of the college's own grant dollars were awarded without regard to need.

Each college decides what a family needs, so “100% of need met” can mean different prices at different colleges. Merit awards that went toward a student's need count as need-based here.

Applying for aid

For fall 2026 entrants.

To apply for aid: the FAFSA.
Need is calculated with the federal formula.

Priority date: February 1 · Deadline: none · Aid offers: on a rolling basis from December 15 · Reply by: May 1

Dates for fall 2026 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.

What the college's own scholarships consider

Academics✓✓
ROTC✓not marked
Leadership✓not marked

A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.

International students

67 international students received an average of $44,685 from the college in 2025–26 (estimated).

Merit aid offered.

International applicants file: another form.

Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Wabash College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2026–27;Wabash College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26 (estimated);Wabash College Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 entrants;Wabash College Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)