by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending University of San Diego, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
The total published cost of attendance at University of San Diego stands at about $74,879.00 for a single academic year.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $59,486.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,393.00 |
| Total cost | $74,879.00 |
| That is 128% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $74,879.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$48,355.00 |
| Net price | $26,524.00 |
| That is 19% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $74,879.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$63,134.00 |
| Net price | $11,745.00 |
| That is 64% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see tuition and fees and room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at about 4.0% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Freshman year | $12,217.00 | $27,589.00 | $77,887.00 |
| Senior year | $13,749.00 | $31,050.00 | $87,655.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $51,891.00 | $117,187.00 | $330,827.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $19,769.00 | $44,644.00 | $126,033.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $597.00 | $1,349.00 | $3,807.00 |
| Total amount paid | $71,660.00 | $161,831.00 | $456,860.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Freshman year | $12,217.00 | $27,589.00 | $77,887.00 |
| Senior year | $12,708.00 | $28,698.00 | $81,015.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $24,924.00 | $56,287.00 | $158,902.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,495.00 | $21,443.00 | $60,536.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $287.00 | $648.00 | $1,829.00 |
| Total amount paid | $34,420.00 | $77,731.00 | $219,438.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net-price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $30,365.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $31,265.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $17,543.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $18,083.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $19,998.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,397.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $46,152.00 |
Run your own numbers with the University of San Diego Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of University of San Diego works out to $19,019.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $5,500.00 |
| 25th | $11,250.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,019.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $33,500.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt detail.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,010.00 |
| Middle income | $19,911.00 |
| High income | $18,000.00 |
Low-income borrowers graduate with $2,010.00 more debt than their high-income peers.
First-gen students typically face different financial-aid contexts than students whose parents attended college.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,750.00 |
First-generation graduates from University of San Diego take on $2,750.00 more than continuing-generation graduates.
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of University of San Diego amounts to $4,524.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The federal default-rate classification for University of San Diego is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 2.0% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at University of San Diego amount to $692,586,198.00 over 23,505 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 469 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $28,406.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 14 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,357.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veteran aid breakdown.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about University of San Diego, the questions below are worth your time:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.