by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Governors State University, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
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The cost of attendance at Governors State University is about $23,076.00 a year.
Here the cost is broken out three ways: no aid, average aid, and the aid a low-income student typically receives.
| Tuition and fees | $12,004.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,072.00 |
| Total cost | $23,076.00 |
| That is 20% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,076.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$11,898.00 |
| Net price | $11,178.00 |
| That is 42% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,076.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,664.00 |
| Net price | $8,412.00 |
| That is 56% below the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with tuition and fees and room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by roughly 5.9% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. 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 | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| Freshman year | $8,910.00 | $11,839.00 | $24,441.00 |
| Senior year | $10,586.00 | $14,066.00 | $29,039.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $38,926.00 | $51,726.00 | $106,783.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $14,829.00 | $19,706.00 | $40,681.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $448.00 | $595.00 | $1,229.00 |
| Total amount paid | $53,756.00 | $71,431.00 | $147,464.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% |
| Freshman year | $8,910.00 | $11,839.00 | $24,441.00 |
| Senior year | $9,436.00 | $12,539.00 | $25,886.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $18,346.00 | $24,378.00 | $50,327.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,989.00 | $9,287.00 | $19,173.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $211.00 | $281.00 | $579.00 |
| Total amount paid | $25,335.00 | $33,666.00 | $69,500.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published sticker price. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $12,329.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $9,477.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. The figures below give average net price by income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $8,982.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $8,419.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $11,856.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $10,513.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $18,292.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Governors State University Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at Governors State University is $14,000.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,250.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,000.00 |
| 75th | $24,300.00 |
| 90th | $34,554.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt page.
Debt outcomes vary substantially with family income. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,702.00 |
| Middle income | $13,000.00 |
| High income | $13,000.00 |
Low-income graduates carry $2,702.00 more debt than high-income graduates.
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,750.00 |
First-gen students at Governors State University graduate with $250.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Comparing Pell recipients vs non-recipients shows how debt is distributed by need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Governors State University works out to $2,958.00. The Department of Education flags this school for a Pell-debt-inequity pattern.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Governors State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.2% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at Governors State University come to $607,248,121.00 covering 19,718 loan recipients.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 32 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $11,071.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
The figures above are a starting point — as you weigh Governors State University, keep these questions in mind:
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.