by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending Sterling College, covering the cost range, projected degree costs, net price, debt at graduation, default rates, and aid distribution patterns.
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The total published cost of attendance at Sterling College stands at about $44,836.00 annually.
Below, the published cost is shown three ways — the full sticker price with no aid, the net price after the average grant package, and the net price for low-income students who typically receive the most aid.
| Tuition and fees | $33,700.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $11,136.00 |
| Total cost | $44,836.00 |
| That is 37% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $44,836.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$24,814.00 |
| Net price | $20,022.00 |
| That is 39% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $44,836.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$28,117.00 |
| Net price | $16,719.00 |
| That is 49% below the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years at a recent average of 5.8% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. 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 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $17,681.00 | $21,174.00 | $47,415.00 |
| Senior year | $20,910.00 | $25,041.00 | $56,076.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $77,061.00 | $92,286.00 | $206,658.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $29,358.00 | $35,157.00 | $78,729.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $887.00 | $1,062.00 | $2,378.00 |
| Total amount paid | $106,419.00 | $127,443.00 | $285,388.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.8% |
| Freshman year | $17,681.00 | $21,174.00 | $47,415.00 |
| Senior year | $18,698.00 | $22,391.00 | $50,142.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $36,378.00 | $43,565.00 | $97,557.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $13,859.00 | $16,597.00 | $37,166.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $419.00 | $501.00 | $1,123.00 |
| Total amount paid | $50,237.00 | $60,162.00 | $134,722.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the net-price section.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. It is usually a better planning number than the sticker cost above.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $22,371.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $22,403.00 |
What families actually pay shifts with income, since need-based grants are larger for lower-income students. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $18,043.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $20,530.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $21,760.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $25,757.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $25,938.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the Sterling College Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Dig into how aid is awarded on the financial aid page.
The typical debt load for borrowers leaving Sterling College works out to $12,000.00, which federal data classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
Here’s how debt at graduation distributes across borrowers:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,174.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $12,000.00 |
| 75th | $25,000.00 |
| 90th | $32,400.00 |
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 page.
Student debt at graduation is not evenly distributed across income levels. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,500.00 |
| Middle income | $12,000.00 |
| High income | $12,650.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,213.00 |
The Department of Education default-rate tier for Sterling College is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 8.5% |
For a sense of scale, Stafford disbursements at Sterling College add up to $53,442,505.00 distributed across 3,424 disbursements.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 17 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $3,506.00 |
Dig into veteran education benefits on the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Sterling College, keep these questions in mind:
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.