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Guidance for Nine-Month Living Expenses

Below are the base budgets for a nine-month period in 2025-26 and 2026-27:

  2025-26 2026-27
  Moderate
9-Month
Budget		 Low
9-Month
Budget		 Moderate
9-Month
Budget		 Low
9-Month
Budget
United States $27,140 $18,180 $29,270 $19,610
Northeast:
Boston–Cambridge–Newton MA–NH 30,125 20,180 32,197 21,571
Hartford–East Hartford- Middletown CT 27,411 18,362 29,855 20,002
New York–Newark–Jersey City NY–NJ–PA 29,583 19,816 31,904 21,375
Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington PA–NJ–DE–MD 28,768 19,271 30,734 20,591
Pittsburgh PA 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
South:
Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Apharetta GA 27,683 18,544 30,148 20,198
Baltimore–Columbia–Towson MD 28,226 18,907 30,441 20,394
Charlotte–Concord–Gastonia NC–SC
Raleigh NC		 27,411 18,362 29,563 19,806
Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington TX 27,954 18,725 30,148 20,198
Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land TX 27,411 18,362 29,563 19,806
Jacksonville FL
Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford FL		 27,411 18,362 29,563 19,806
Miami–Fort Lauderdale–Pompano Beach FL 27,683 18,544 30,148 20,198
New Orleans–Metairie LA 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Oklahoma City OK 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Richmond VA
Virginia Beach–Norfolk–Newport News VA–NC		 27,140 18,180 29,563 19,806
San Antonio–New Braunfels TX
Austin–Round Rock TX		 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater FL 27,411 18,362 29,563 19,806
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria DC–VA–MD–WV 31,211 20,907 33,075 22,159
Midwest:
Chicago–Naperville–Elgin IL–IN–WI 27,683 18,544 29,563 19,806
Cleveland–Elyria OH
Cincinnati OH–KY–IN
Columbus OH		 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Detroit–Warren–Dearborn MI 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson IN
Louisville/Jefferson County KY–IN		 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington MN–WI 28,226 18,907 30,441 20,394
St. Louis MO–IL 27,140 18,180 29,270 19,610
West:
Anchorage AK 28,497 19,089 30,441 20,394
Denver–Aurora–Lakewood CO 29,311 19,634 31,612 21,179
Urban Honolulu HI 29,854 19,998 31,904 21,375
Las Vegas–Henderson–Paradise NV 27,683 18,544 30,148 20,198
Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim CA 29,583 19,816 31,612 21,179
Phoenix–Mesa–Chandler AZ 27,683 18,544 30,148 20,198
Portland–Vancouver–Hillsboro OR–WA 28,497 19,089 30,441 20,394
Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario CA 27,683 18,544 30,148 20,198
San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad CA 30,940 20,725 33,075 22,159
San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley CA 32,297 21,634 35,124 23,532
Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue WA 30,397 20,362 32,782 21,963

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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