Cost & aid
What it costs
In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $44,836 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $20.6K more than the national median. The 37% who received grants paid $27,889 on average; the other 63% paid the full sticker price of $39,892 in-state / $59,846 out-of-state.
- Full price, in-state
- $39,892 a year
- tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
- Need-based aid
- Little need-based aid above $110K
- aid thins out for families above that income
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.
- Published federal figures
View as a table
| Family income | Price per year |
|---|---|
| $0–30K | $20K a year |
| $30–48K | $20K a year |
| $48–75K | $26K a year |
| $75–110K | $32K a year |
| $150K | Published data end at $110K |
| $200K | Published data end at $110K |
| $250K | Published data end at $110K |
| $300K | Published data end at $110K |
| $350K | Published data end at $110K |
| $400K and above | Published data end at $110K |
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.
$44,836
Tuition, housing, food, books & other expenses, after grants · 2023–24
37% got grants averaging $11,336; 63% got none.
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.
Who pays what
Share of first-year students, 2023–24.
Sticker price by residency
| Rate | Tuition & fees | First-years | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | $20,234 | $39,892 | 54% |
| Out-of-state | $40,188 | $59,846 | 46% |
Full cost adds books, on-campus room & board, and other expenses ($19,658) to tuition and fees.
$32,819 in-state before aid
Tuition, fees, and on-campus food and housing · down 1% in-state from 2023–24.
Show the full next-year estimate
- Tuition, fees, food & housing$32,819
- Books and supplies$1,840
- Transportation$1,566
- Other expenses$3,222
- Total for a student living on campus$39,447
$25K
≈ $265/month for 10 years
2.8 yrs
of median salary to cover 4 years of net price
40% of undergrads borrow federally.
Everyone who borrowed and left, whether or not they graduated.
Three years into repayment
Where former undergraduates stand on their federal loans.
- Paid in full16%
- Paying it down29%
- Payments paused30%
- Not paying it down18%
- Behind or in default7%
- Forgiven or discharged1%
Some shares are published as a small range to protect privacy.
Who actually gets aid
Aid generosity
LimitedGrants cover 9% of the $49,071 full price on average across all first-years (limited), more than at 1% of colleges. Most students here pay close to the sticker price.
$4,235 in grants per first-year ÷ $49,071 full price.
Who gets grants and scholarships
Full-time first-year students (9,004), 2023–24
About 1 in 2 first-year students got no grant aid and paid the full sticker price of $39,892 in-state / $59,846 out-of-state.
Where the aid comes from
Share of first-year students receiving each; averages are per recipient.
Aid by family income
By family income: only students who received federal aid, because income is only reported for them.
Aid by family income isn't reported.
From Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus's Common Data Set
First-years and all full-time undergraduates, 2022–23, a year before the federal figures above.
| First-years | All full-time | |
|---|---|---|
| Need met, on average | 62% | 62% |
| Need fully met | 34% | 31% |
| Average aid package | $10,885 | $13,000 |
| Average need-based grant | $7,445 | $8,234 |
| Average need-based loan | $3,442 | $4,539 |
| Athletic scholarships | – | 662average $29,830 |
22% 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 2023 entrants.
Deadline: none · Aid offers: on a rolling basis
Dates for fall 2023 entrants; the next cycle's are usually similar.
What the college's own scholarships consider
| Academics | ✓ | ✓ |
|---|---|---|
| Alumni connection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Athletics | ✓ | ✓ |
| ROTC | ✓ | not marked |
A blank means the college didn't mark it, not that it never counts.
International students
Sources:IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, 2023–24;College Scorecard, most recent release;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, 2023–24;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, 2022–23;Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2022–23, Fall 2023 entrants;IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD), 2025–26;Common Data Set, most recent releaseAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)