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Guidance for Twelve-Month Living Expenses
Below are the base budgets for a twelve-month period in 2025-26 and 2026-27:
| 2025-26 | 2026-27 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate 12-Month Budget |
Low 12-Month Budget |
Moderate 12-Month Budget |
Low 12-Month Budget |
|
| United States | $36,180 | $24,240 | $39,030 | $26,150 |
| Northeast: | ||||
| Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH | 40,160 | 26,906 | 42,933 | 28,765 |
| Hartford–East Hartford–Middletown CT | 36,542 | 24,482 | 39,811 | 26,673 |
| New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA | 39,436 | 26,422 | 42,543 | 28,504 |
| Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD | 38,351 | 25,694 | 40,982 | 27,458 |
| Pittsburgh PA | 36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| South: | ||||
| Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta GA | 36,904 | 24,725 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD | 37,627 | 25,210 | 40,591 | 27,196 |
| Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC Raleigh NC |
36,542 | 24,482 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX | 37,265 | 24,967 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX | 36,542 | 24,482 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| Jacksonville FL Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL |
36,542 | 24,482 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL | 36,904 | 24,725 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| New Orleans–Metairie LA | 36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Oklahoma City OK | 36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Richmond VA Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC |
36,180 | 24,240 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| San Antonio–New Braunfels TX Austin–Round Rock TX |
36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL | 36,542 | 24,482 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV | 41,607 | 27,876 | 44,104 | 29,550 |
| Midwest: | ||||
| Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI | 36,904 | 24,725 | 39,420 | 26,412 |
| Cleveland–Elyria OH Cincinnati OH–KY–IN Columbus OH |
36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI | 36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN |
36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI | 37,627 | 25,210 | 40,591 | 27,196 |
| St. Louis MO–IL | 36,180 | 24,240 | 39,030 | 26,150 |
| West: | ||||
| Anchorage AK | 37,989 | 25,452 | 40,591 | 27,196 |
| Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO | 39,074 | 26,179 | 42,152 | 28,242 |
| Urban Honolulu HI | 39,798 | 26,664 | 42,543 | 28,504 |
| Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV | 36,904 | 24,725 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA | 39,436 | 26,422 | 42,152 | 28,242 |
| Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ | 36,904 | 24,725 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA | 37,989 | 25,452 | 40,591 | 27,196 |
| Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA | 36,904 | 24,725 | 40,201 | 26,935 |
| San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA | 41,245 | 27,634 | 44,104 | 29,550 |
| San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA | 43,054 | 28,846 | 46,836 | 31,380 |
| Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA | 40,522 | 27,149 | 43,714 | 29,288 |
Note: These budgets are provided to assist financial aid officers in developing living expense budgets for their independent, off-campus students. The budgets should not be confused with the actual boarding expenses experienced by an on-campus student. These budgets are intended as broad guidelines or starting points which should be adjusted to local economies, individual situations, and Department of Education Cost of Attendance guidelines.