by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Attendance costs at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley spanned $26,918.00 and $37,102.00 depending on residency and living arrangement.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: about $26,918.00 in-state versus $37,102.00 for out-of-state students.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $15,208.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,710.00 |
| Total cost | $26,918.00 |
| That is 40% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,918.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,889.00 |
| Net price | $17,029.00 |
| That is 12% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,918.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,687.00 |
| Net price | $11,231.00 |
| That is 42% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $25,392.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,710.00 |
| Total cost | $37,102.00 |
| That is 93% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $37,102.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,889.00 |
| Net price | $27,213.00 |
| That is 41% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $37,102.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$15,687.00 |
| Net price | $21,415.00 |
| That is 11% above the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see the tuition & fees page and living costs. |
Published costs have climbed year over year at a recent average of 1.7% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. Below, the cost is projected across a degree for three students at once — low-income with aid, average aid, and no aid. 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 | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $11,427.00 | $17,326.00 | $27,388.00 |
| Senior year | $12,036.00 | $18,250.00 | $28,848.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $46,919.00 | $71,141.00 | $112,454.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $17,875.00 | $27,102.00 | $42,841.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $540.00 | $819.00 | $1,294.00 |
| Total amount paid | $64,794.00 | $98,243.00 | $155,295.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $11,427.00 | $17,326.00 | $27,388.00 |
| Senior year | $11,627.00 | $17,629.00 | $27,866.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $23,054.00 | $34,955.00 | $55,254.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,783.00 | $13,317.00 | $21,050.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $265.00 | $402.00 | $636.00 |
| Total amount paid | $31,836.00 | $48,272.00 | $76,304.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $21,789.00 | $27,688.00 | $37,750.00 |
| Senior year | $22,950.00 | $29,164.00 | $39,762.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $89,464.00 | $113,686.00 | $154,999.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $34,083.00 | $43,310.00 | $59,049.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,030.00 | $1,308.00 | $1,784.00 |
| Total amount paid | $123,547.00 | $156,997.00 | $214,048.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $21,789.00 | $27,688.00 | $37,750.00 |
| Senior year | $22,169.00 | $28,171.00 | $38,409.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $43,958.00 | $55,860.00 | $76,158.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $16,746.00 | $21,280.00 | $29,014.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $506.00 | $643.00 | $876.00 |
| Total amount paid | $60,705.00 | $77,140.00 | $105,172.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the Net Price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $18,220.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $19,324.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $12,011.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $13,259.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $19,247.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $22,088.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $25,825.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
The typical debt load for borrowers leaving Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley amounts to $19,500.00, categorized as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The full distribution of debt at graduation looks like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,750.00 |
| 25th | $8,750.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $34,000.00 |
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.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,000.00 |
| Middle income | $20,000.00 |
| High income | $19,700.00 |
First-generation college students often carry different debt loads than their continuing-generation peers.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500.00 |
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley comes to $1,480.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The default-rate category at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.4% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley add up to $4,885,479,531.00 spread across 238,368 student borrowers.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 25 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $12,682.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 2 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $4,500.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the college veterans page.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Lehigh Valley, think through the questions below:
Use the pages below to go deeper on a specific part of the cost story:
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.