Price and Affordability

How Financial Aid Can Help

When applying to the University of Denver, you and your family might have a lot of questions about how you’ll cover the costs of tuition, housing and other expenses. Our office is dedicated to helping each family create a strategy that works for them. Once scholarships and other financial aid options are factored in, many students find their cost to attend DU is comparable to other institutions they may be considering. We'll work with you to answer all your questions and to craft a customized financial aid offer that explores every available option.

Can I afford a DU education?

We do our best to make sure everyone who is admitted to DU can afford it.

Use our interactive calculators for an estimate of how much financial aid you may be eligible to receive and what your overall cost to attend the University of Denver might be.   

Estimate Your Cost

image of red calculator

Quick Cost Estimator

For a quick, ballpark estimate of your cost, use the Quick Cost Estimator.

image of gray calculator

Net Price Calculator

For a more in-depth estimate, complete the Net Price Calculator.

image of a red calculator

Federal Student Aid Estimator

For an early estimate of your 2025-26 federal eligibility, use the Federal Student Aid Estimator

  • 83%

    83 percent of need met for undergraduate students

  • 84%

    84 percent of aid for undergraduates is in the form of scholarships and grants

$47.8k $47,844 is the average need-based financial aid offer for first-time undergraduate students

100% 100 percent of admitted students receive a grant or scholarship

What types of aid are available?

There are three main types of financial aid available. Your first-year financial aid offer may combine all of these items to help you cover the cost of your education.

  • ribbon icon

    Merit Scholarships - Up to $33,000

    You're automatically considered for merit scholarships during the admission process—no need to apply for financial aid to be considered. This money doesn't have to be repaid.

    Scholarships

  • application icon

    Need-Based Grants

    There are a variety of federal, state and university grants that are awarded based on financial need. This is also money that doesn't have to be repaid.

    Grants

  • bridge icon

    Loans - Up to $5,500

    DU offers low-interest federal loans for students. Additional loans are also available for parents.

    Loans

view of campus

Average Need-Based Financial Aid Offers

DU provides aid distributed among a wide range of income levels. Below are the average financial aid offers for current first-year students who completed both the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Financial aid can be impacted by the size of the family, the number of students in college, assets, and the student's admission application.

Parent Annual Income Range Average Total Aid Offer* Range of Total Aid Offers (Middle 50%)*
$0-40,000 $51,449 $40,924 - $63,150
$40,001-80,000 $52,140 $45,218 - $59,794
$80,001-120,000 $45,339 $37,380 - $53,145
$120,001-160,000 $39,845 $34,500 - $47,055
$160,000+ $32,362 $28,500 - $36,500

*These amounts reflect the average total amount of aid for students who apply for need-based financial aid, which means it includes need-based grants as well as merit scholarships, student loans, and work-study.

aerial view of campus

Get a personalized estimate of what you might pay.

Quick Cost Estimator

anderson academic commons

Plan for Four Years

Will I receive the same financial aid offer each year?

If your family's financial situation remains the same, we'll make every effort to provide you with a similar aid offer each year. But be sure to keep these points in mind:

  • Costs will change. Based on information from prior years, you should anticipate a small increase in tuition, housing and meal rates annually.
  • Merit scholarships are fixed. If you're offered a merit scholarship upon admission, you can expect to receive that same award for four years.
  • Departmental scholarships may be available. Once you choose a major, you may be considered for a departmental scholarship in your second, third and/or fourth year.

Am I going to end up with a lot of debt?

average loan debt graphic for DU students at graduation

Avg Debt at Graduation

Of the 43% of students who borrow federal loans, the average amount of debt our students have when they graduate is $21,025—much less than the national average of $37,338.

Data from DU Factbook and Education Data Initiative

cohort default rate chart

Loan Default Rate

Due to the early success of our alumni, only 1.9% of DU students fail to repay ("default" on) their federal loans—much lower than the national average of 7.1%.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education

Next Steps