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Guidance for Nine-Month Living Expenses

Below are the base budgets for a nine-month period in 2024-25 and 2025-26:

  2024-25 2025-26
  Moderate
9-Month
Budget		 Low
9-Month
Budget		 Moderate
9-Month
Budget		 Low
9-Month
Budget
United States $26,390 $17,680 $27,140 $18,180
Northeast:
Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH 29,557 19,802 30,125 20,180
Hartford–East Hartford- Middletown CT 26,918 18,034 27,411 18,362
New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA 29,029 19,448 29,583 19,816
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD 27,710 18,564 28,768 19,271
Pittsburgh PA 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
South:
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Apharetta GA 26,918 18,034 27,683 18,544
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD 27,710 18,564 28,226 18,907
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC
Raleigh NC		 26,654 17,857 27,411 18,362
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX 27,710 18,564 27,954 18,725
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX 26,918 18,034 27,411 18,362
Jacksonville FL
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL		 26,918 18,034 27,411 18,362
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL 27,182 18,210 27,683 18,544
New Orleans–Metairie LA 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Oklahoma City OK 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Richmond VA
Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC		 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
San Antonio–New Braunfels TX
Austin–Round Rock TX		 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL 26,390 17,680 27,411 18,362
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV 30,612 20,509 31,211 20,907
Midwest:
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI 27,182 18,210 27,683 18,544
Cleveland–Elyria OH
Cincinnati OH–KY–IN
Columbus OH		 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN
Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN		 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI 27,710 18,564 28,226 18,907
St. Louis MO–IL 26,390 17,680 27,140 18,180
West:
Anchorage AK 27,973 18,741 28,497 19,089
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO 28,765 19,271 29,311 19,634
Urban Honolulu HI 29,029 19,448 29,854 19,998
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV 26,654 17,857 27,683 18,544
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA 29,293 19,625 29,583 19,816
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ 26,918 18,034 27,683 18,544
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA 27,710 18,564 28,497 19,089
Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA 26,918 18,034 27,683 18,544
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA 30,349 20,332 30,940 20,725
San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA 30,876 20,686 32,297 21,634
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA 29,557 19,802 30,397 20,362

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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