by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Capella University, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The cost of attendance at Capella University is about $22,029.00 per academic year.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $14,400.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $7,629.00 |
| Total cost | $22,029.00 |
| That is 33% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,029.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$4,864.00 |
| Net price | $17,165.00 |
| That is 48% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,029.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$5,335.00 |
| Net price | $16,694.00 |
| That is 49% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and room and board. |
The reported cost series has been increasing by around 0.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. The repayment figures use a ten-year loan at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $16,793.00 | $17,267.00 | $22,159.00 |
| Senior year | $17,093.00 | $17,575.00 | $22,555.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $67,771.00 | $69,683.00 | $89,428.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $25,818.00 | $26,547.00 | $34,069.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $780.00 | $802.00 | $1,029.00 |
| Total amount paid | $93,589.00 | $96,229.00 | $123,497.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Freshman year | $16,793.00 | $17,267.00 | $22,159.00 |
| Senior year | $16,892.00 | $17,369.00 | $22,291.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $33,685.00 | $34,636.00 | $44,450.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $12,833.00 | $13,195.00 | $16,934.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $388.00 | $399.00 | $512.00 |
| Total amount paid | $46,518.00 | $47,830.00 | $61,384.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the Net Price section.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $17,956.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $18,305.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $17,901.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $17,057.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $20,489.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $22,029.00 |
Use Capella University Net Price Calculator, or visit the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid page.
Typical debt at graduation from Capella University is $8,814.00, placing the school in the Very Low (<$10k) debt-burden category.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $1,678.00 |
| 25th | $3,471.00 |
| Median (50th) | $8,814.00 |
| 75th | $23,976.00 |
| 90th | $38,339.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,151.00 |
| Middle income | $9,178.00 |
| High income | $9,375.00 |
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,889.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,303.00 |
First-gen students at Capella University carry $586.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Capella University is $1,193.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The default-rate classification at Capella University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 10.2% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Capella University total $7,686,487,702.00 distributed across 217,537 disbursements.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs including the GI Bill and Department of Defense tuition support.
| GI Bill recipients | 1,158 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $7,584.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 65 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,285.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the college veterans page.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Capella University, think through the questions below:
Dig further into the cost picture with the related pages 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.