How net price is calculated
Net price = cost of attendance (tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transport and personal costs) minus the average grants and scholarships students receive. Loans and work-study are not subtracted, because you pay them back or earn them.
The federal figures cover full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid. For public colleges, they cover in-state students only.
Net price by family income
Colleges also report the average net price for five income groups. The medians across 4-year colleges (2024-25):
| Family income | Public (in-state) | Private nonprofit |
|---|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,561 | $18,720 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,654 | $18,309 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,084 | $19,292 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $16,363 | $23,162 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,696 | $30,076 |
Income here is what the college used to decide aid: parents' and student's income for a dependent student.
How to use it
- Look up the net price for your income group on any school's page, or with the net price by income tool.
- Run the school's own net price calculator (every school must have one, and we link to it). It uses more of your family's details.
- Compare the result with your budget, and with the earnings former students make.
Why low-income families often pay less at expensive colleges
Many private colleges with large endowments give big need-based grants. At some of them, families earning under $30,000 pay less than they would at their state university. You only see that by looking up net price for your own income group, which is why every college page here shows a chart of what families paid in each group.
What net price does not tell you
- It is an average. Your own price depends on your family's full finances, the number of children in college and the college's own rules.
- It covers first-year students. Grants can change in later years. Ask whether aid renews.
- Public colleges report in-state students. Out-of-state students usually pay more; see in-state vs out-of-state tuition.
- It is about a past year. The federal figures describe 2024-25. Costs rise most years.
Sticker price vs net price
At public 4-year colleges, the median cost of attendance is $25,648 and the median net price $14,262. At private nonprofit colleges it is $52,192 against $23,293. Judging a school by its sticker price can rule out schools that would cost you less.
Sources
- College Scorecard data, U.S. Department of Education, release of October 15, 2026
- College Scorecard data dictionary
