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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.