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Guidance for Twelve-Month Living Expenses

Below are the base budgets for a twelve-month period in 2026-27 and 2027-28:

  2026-27 2027-28
  Moderate
12-Month
Budget		 Low
12-Month
Budget		 Moderate
12-Month
Budget		 Low
12-Month
Budget
United States $39,030 $26,150 $42,040 $28,170
Northeast
Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH 42,933 28,765 45,824 30,705
Hartford–East Hartford–Middletown CT 39,811 26,673 42,881 28,733
New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA 42,543 28,504 45,824 30,705
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD 40,982 27,458 44,142 29,579
Pittsburgh PA 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
South
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta GA 40,201 26,935 42,881 28,733
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD 40,591 27,196 43,301 29,015
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC
Raleigh NC		 39,420 26,412 42,460 28,452
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX 40,201 26,935 42,881 28,733
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX 39,420 26,412 42,460 28,452
Jacksonville FL
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL		 39,420 26,412 42,040 28,170
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL 40,201 26,935 43,722 29,297
New Orleans–Metairie LA 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Oklahoma City OK 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Richmond VA
Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC		 39,420 26,412 42,460 28,452
San Antonio–New Braunfels TX
Austin–Round Rock TX		 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL 39,420 26,412 42,881 28,733
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV 44,104 29,550 46,244 30,987
Midwest
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI 39,420 26,412 42,040 28,170
Cleveland–Elyria OH
Cincinnati OH–KY–IN
Columbus OH		 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN
Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN		 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI 40,591 27,196 43,722 29,297
St. Louis MO–IL 39,030 26,150 42,040 28,170
West
Anchorage AK 40,591 27,196 43,722 29,297
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO 42,152 28,242 45,824 30,705
Urban Honolulu HI 42,543 28,504 45,824 30,705
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV 40,201 26,935 43,301 29,015
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA 42,152 28,242 45,403 30,424
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ 40,201 26,935 44,142 29,579
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA 40,591 27,196 44,142 29,579
Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA 40,201 26,935 44,142 29,579
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA 44,104 29,550 47,505 31,832
San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA 46,836 31,380 50,028 33,522
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA 43,714 29,288 47,085 31,550

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.

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The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

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