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Estimating Cost of Attendance

Estimating cost of attendance to Adventist colleges and universities is found by looking beyond the “sticker price,” or the published tuition price, of a school and finding out exactly what scholarships, work-study and other assistance are possible. Below you’ll find help in beginning to estimate your cost of attendance.

 

Compare Out-of-Pocket Costs

The average 4-year private college tuition costs $33,480¹, and the average Adventist college tuition is approximately $21,722². You can often get a quality private Adventist education for less than many other private schools. A big key is to ask all the schools under consideration to provide an estimate of the total out-of-pocket costs to attend per year for four years. Estimating cost out-of-pocket is really the best way to compare schools financially.

When comparing an Adventist college with a public institution, consider total cost of attendance through degree-completion. Nearly 80 percent of the graduates of a private college or university complete their degree on time compared with approximately 60 percent from a state institution³. One reason is good academic advising which is a big strength of Adventist colleges.

 

Use School’s Net Price Tuition Calculator

Each of the accredited Adventist colleges and universities is required to provide a net price tuition calculator (NPC) on their website. The NPC is designed to help college-bound students and their families to better understand the real cost of attendance and make more accurate cost comparisons between schools.

The net price tuition calculator should include the following estimates³:

  • Price of attendance
  • Tuition and fees
  • Room and board
  • Books and supplies
  • Other expenses (such as transportation, personal expenses, etc.)
  • Total grant aid
  • Net price
  • Percent of the cohort (full-time, first-time students) that receive grant aid
  • Caveats and disclaimers, as indicated in the Higher Education Opportunity Act

The key to using the NPC is to remember it is only an estimator. While each college is required to include the above minimum information, some colleges will invite prospective students to submit additional information, such as GPA and/or test scores, and factor those into the estimated net price calculation. If grades or test scores go up or down, or family financial situations change, the estimated cost of attendance can change also.

College/UniversityCost Calculator Link

AdventHealth University
(formerly Adventist University of Health Sciences)

Calculator
Andrews UniversityCalculator
Burman UniversityCosts
Kettering CollegeCalculator
La Sierra UniversityCalculator
Loma Linda UniversityN/A for first-time college students.
Oakwood UniversityCalculator
Pacific Union CollegeCalculator
Southern Adventist UniversityCalculator
Southwestern Adventist UniversityCalculator
Union CollegeCalculator
Walla Walla UniversityCalculator
Washington Adventist UniversityCalculator

 

Other College Cost Estimators

FinAid’s custom calculators can help you figure out how much college will cost, how much you need to save and how much assistance you’ll need. For a list of popular calculators, visit the FinAid Calculator page at: www.finaid.org/calculators/.

 

Estimating cost of attendance is just the beginning. The key to funding your college degree is to fully explore all the scholarship and financial aid options before deciding if the cost is too much.

Learn more at How to Pay for College, ABCs of Scholarships and FAFSA, Grants and Awards.

 

Sources:
¹The College Board.
²IPEDS. Does not include LLU.
³Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.