by our College Data Analytics TeamThis guide covers the real cost of attending University of Pennsylvania, 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.
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Published attendance costs at University of Pennsylvania works out to about $85,738.00 a year.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $68,686.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $17,052.00 |
| Total cost | $85,738.00 |
| That is 161% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $85,738.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$60,329.00 |
| Net price | $25,409.00 |
| That is 23% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $85,738.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$92,040.00 |
| Net price | $-6,302.00 |
| That is 119% below the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years at about 3.6% 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. 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 | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Freshman year | $-6,531.00 | $26,333.00 | $88,856.00 |
| Senior year | $-7,270.00 | $29,311.00 | $98,905.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $-27,584.00 | $111,217.00 | $375,282.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-10,509.00 | $42,370.00 | $142,969.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-317.00 | $1,280.00 | $4,319.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-38,093.00 | $153,587.00 | $518,251.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Freshman year | $-6,531.00 | $26,333.00 | $88,856.00 |
| Senior year | $-6,769.00 | $27,290.00 | $92,086.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $-13,300.00 | $53,623.00 | $180,942.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $-5,067.00 | $20,429.00 | $68,932.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $-153.00 | $617.00 | $2,082.00 |
| Total amount paid | $-18,367.00 | $74,052.00 | $249,874.00 |
See the full net-price breakdown in the Net Price section.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most prospective students, net price gives a more realistic estimate than sticker tuition.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $28,699.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $31,229.00 |
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 | $1,026.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $4,759.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,585.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $29,302.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $57,603.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s University of Pennsylvania Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
Typical debt at graduation from University of Pennsylvania stands at $14,000.00, landing it in the Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,500.00 |
| 25th | $6,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $14,000.00 |
| 75th | $21,500.00 |
| 90th | $29,450.00 |
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.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500.00 |
| Middle income | $13,167.00 |
| High income | $15,000.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,000.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,750.00 |
Pell Grants are the federal government’s primary need-based undergraduate aid program. 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 University of Pennsylvania stands at $-2,965.00.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for University of Pennsylvania is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 0.9% |
For context on the loan portfolio, Stafford disbursements at University of Pennsylvania add up to $1,442,061,946.00 distributed across 36,425 loan recipients.
Veterans and current servicemembers may be eligible for major federal education benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 164 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $23,398.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about University of Pennsylvania, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
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.