by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending Portland State University, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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The full cost of attending Portland State University ranged from $22,449.00 through $41,844.00 across residency tiers.
Residency made the difference: in-state students paid the lower rate and out-of-state students the higher rate: close to $22,449.00 in-state compared with $41,844.00 out-of-state.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $11,679.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,770.00 |
| Total cost | $22,449.00 |
| That is 17% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,449.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,038.00 |
| Net price | $10,411.00 |
| That is 46% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $22,449.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,935.00 |
| Net price | $8,514.00 |
| That is 56% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $31,074.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,770.00 |
| Total cost | $41,844.00 |
| That is 117% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $41,844.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,038.00 |
| Net price | $29,806.00 |
| That is 55% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $41,844.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$13,935.00 |
| Net price | $27,909.00 |
| That is 45% above the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees plus room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising at a recent average of 2.0% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $8,684.00 | $10,619.00 | $22,898.00 |
| Senior year | $9,215.00 | $11,268.00 | $24,298.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $35,791.00 | $43,766.00 | $94,372.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $13,635.00 | $16,673.00 | $35,952.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $412.00 | $504.00 | $1,086.00 |
| Total amount paid | $49,427.00 | $60,439.00 | $130,324.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $8,684.00 | $10,619.00 | $22,898.00 |
| Senior year | $8,858.00 | $10,831.00 | $23,355.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $17,542.00 | $21,450.00 | $46,253.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,683.00 | $8,172.00 | $17,621.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $202.00 | $247.00 | $532.00 |
| Total amount paid | $24,225.00 | $29,622.00 | $63,873.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $28,467.00 | $30,402.00 | $42,680.00 |
| Senior year | $30,207.00 | $32,260.00 | $45,290.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $117,325.00 | $125,300.00 | $175,905.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $44,697.00 | $47,735.00 | $67,014.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,350.00 | $1,442.00 | $2,024.00 |
| Total amount paid | $162,021.00 | $173,034.00 | $242,919.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Freshman year | $28,467.00 | $30,402.00 | $42,680.00 |
| Senior year | $29,035.00 | $31,009.00 | $43,533.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $57,502.00 | $61,410.00 | $86,213.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,906.00 | $23,395.00 | $32,844.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $662.00 | $707.00 | $992.00 |
| Total amount paid | $79,408.00 | $84,806.00 | $119,057.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the net price section below.
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) | $9,552.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $12,932.00 |
What families actually pay shifts with income, since need-based grants are larger for lower-income students. Below, average net price is broken out by family income:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,558.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $12,186.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $13,162.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,351.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $19,412.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Portland State University Net Price Calculator, or check with the financial aid office.
Curious how grants and scholarships are distributed? Explore the grants & scholarships detail.
Median graduate debt at Portland State University stands at $15,457.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-burden bucket.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,998.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,457.00 |
| 75th | $27,221.00 |
| 90th | $37,500.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,000.00 |
| Middle income | $14,000.00 |
| High income | $14,000.00 |
Graduates from lower-income families carry $4,000.00 in additional median debt versus high-income graduates.
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,870.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,818.00 |
First-generation graduates of Portland State University take on $1,052.00 in extra median debt compared with continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. Pell vs non-Pell comparisons surface how debt breaks down by need.
The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap at Portland State University amounts to $5,327.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The federal default-rate classification for Portland State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.2% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Portland State University come to $2,079,262,609.00 spread across 80,359 loan recipients.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs including the GI Bill and Tuition Assistance from the Department of Defense.
| GI Bill recipients | 409 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $9,997.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 42 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,866.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the college veterans page.
Numbers only tell part of the story. As you weigh Portland State University, a few questions are worth asking:
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.