by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is the data on what it actually costs to attend Philander Smith University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
The cost of attendance at Philander Smith University comes to about $26,729.00 per year.
The blocks below show what you would pay with no aid, with average aid, and as a low-income student.
| Tuition and fees | $13,014.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,715.00 |
| Total cost | $26,729.00 |
| That is 19% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,729.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,912.00 |
| Net price | $12,817.00 |
| That is 61% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $26,729.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$14,743.00 |
| Net price | $11,986.00 |
| That is 63% below the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with the tuition & fees page and room and board. |
The projections below extend the current annual cost across a degree. 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. 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% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $11,986.00 | $12,817.00 | $26,729.00 |
| Senior year | $11,986.00 | $12,817.00 | $26,729.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $47,944.00 | $51,268.00 | $106,916.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $18,265.00 | $19,531.00 | $40,731.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $552.00 | $590.00 | $1,230.00 |
| Total amount paid | $66,209.00 | $70,799.00 | $147,647.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Freshman year | $11,986.00 | $12,817.00 | $26,729.00 |
| Senior year | $11,986.00 | $12,817.00 | $26,729.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $23,972.00 | $25,634.00 | $53,458.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $9,132.00 | $9,766.00 | $20,366.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $276.00 | $295.00 | $615.00 |
| Total amount paid | $33,104.00 | $35,400.00 | $73,824.00 |
| 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 families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $14,224.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $15,360.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $15,661.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $14,460.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $15,092.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,335.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Philander Smith University Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid page.
The median graduating debt at Philander Smith University works out to $14,750.00, which federal data classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden category.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,750.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,750.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $40,000.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Dig deeper into debt on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,000.00 |
| Middle income | $14,000.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,890.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,000.00 |
First-generation graduates from Philander Smith University carry $890.00 more median debt than 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-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Philander Smith University stands at $2,140.00. This institution is flagged by federal data for Pell-debt inequity.
The federal default-rate tier for Philander Smith University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 14.1% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Philander Smith University amount to $127,115,981.00 distributed across 5,742 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 | 8 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $8,856.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
The figures above are a starting point — as you weigh Philander Smith University, the questions below are worth your time:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
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.