Cost Estimator
Estimate what a program will cost you, and what borrowing would mean.
How the estimate works
Total cost is the yearly costs you enter times the program length. Net cost subtracts grants, scholarships, and employer aid: money you don’t repay. The gap subtracts the earnings and savings you’ll put in. The example payment uses the standard formula for a fixed-rate loan repaid in equal monthly amounts.
Living costs: include rent and food only if school adds to them, for example if you’d move or cut back on work. If you’d pay the same rent anyway, leaving it out gives a truer picture of what school itself costs you.
What it can’t tell you: it doesn’t know your actual aid, federal loan limits, fees charged when a loan is issued, interest that builds up while you’re in school, or income-based repayment plans, all of which can change the real payment. For federal loans, StudentAid.gov’s Loan Simulator uses your actual loans. See questions to ask before borrowing.
Read alongside it
- Net Price vs. Sticker Price: What School Will Actually Cost You
- Should You Borrow for This Program? Six Questions to Answer First
- Grants, Scholarships, Work-Study and Loans: How Each One Works
Your inputs are saved in this browser only so you can pick up where you left off. Clear or turn off storage.