by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Bluffton University, including attendance costs, projected four- and two-year degree costs, average net price, debt outcomes, and how aid is distributed across income levels.
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The cost of attendance at Bluffton University stands at about $50,579.00 annually.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $37,362.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,217.00 |
| Total cost | $50,579.00 |
| That is 54% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $50,579.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$31,919.00 |
| Net price | $18,660.00 |
| That is 43% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $50,579.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$35,499.00 |
| Net price | $15,080.00 |
| That is 54% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees plus room and board. |
The reported cost series has been increasing at a recent average of 2.7% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Freshman year | $15,486.00 | $19,162.00 | $51,940.00 |
| Senior year | $16,770.00 | $20,751.00 | $56,246.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $64,488.00 | $79,798.00 | $216,296.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $24,568.00 | $30,400.00 | $82,401.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $742.00 | $918.00 | $2,489.00 |
| Total amount paid | $89,056.00 | $110,198.00 | $298,698.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% |
| Freshman year | $15,486.00 | $19,162.00 | $51,940.00 |
| Senior year | $15,902.00 | $19,678.00 | $53,337.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $31,388.00 | $38,840.00 | $105,277.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,958.00 | $14,797.00 | $40,107.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $361.00 | $447.00 | $1,212.00 |
| Total amount paid | $43,346.00 | $53,636.00 | $145,384.00 |
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) | $19,943.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $17,430.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $16,521.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $16,667.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,013.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,361.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $13,482.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Bluffton University Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid breakdown.
The median graduating debt at Bluffton University works out to $19,500.00, landing it in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,705.00 |
| 25th | $5,687.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $28,700.00 |
| 90th | $37,500.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,656.00 |
| Middle income | $18,458.00 |
| High income | $21,826.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500.00 |
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Contrasting Pell and non-Pell borrowers shows how need shapes debt.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Bluffton University amounts to $-750.00.
The default-rate category at Bluffton University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 5.6% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Bluffton University total $84,862,363.00 over 4,437 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 3 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $10,517.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Bluffton University, keep these questions in mind:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
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.