Before you choose a college, see what you're really signing up for.

Name a college. See what it costs, what your student’s grades and scores could earn there, what would be left for your family to cover, and what that could mean each month after graduation.

College

About 2,100 colleges. Try Ole Miss, UCLA, or Notre Dame.

Cost of Attendance

This school publishes automatic merit scholarships for non-resident students based on GPA and test scores.

Merit scholarships your student may qualify for

This college publishes a scholarship chart by GPA and test score. Enter your student’s numbers to see which tier applies.

Using this school's published merit amount of $0. This replaces the average grant because the federal average already includes the school's own scholarship aid.

Grants and scholarships you know about (per year)

Average grant and scholarship aid among first-year students who received aid at this school, from federal, state, and school sources combined (2021–22 federal reporting). A starting point, not your family's actual aid.

The federal average grant reported for this school covers in-state students only, so we don't apply it here. Enter your own figure if you have one.

Using this school's average grant of $0.

This replaces the published merit amount because the federal average already includes the school's own scholarship aid.

You entered $0 here. Replace it with this school's average grant of $0?

If your figure came from an aid offer, keep it. A real offer is more accurate than either estimate.

What your family plans to pay (per year, optional)

From savings or income. Leave it blank if you don't know yet.

Your Estimated Annual Cost $– /year

Your Estimated Annual Borrowing $– /year

If Borrowed, That Would Mean $– /month for 20 years after graduation

Total borrowed over 4 years —

Total repaid with 6% interest over 20 years —

Where that borrowing could come from under federal limits

This is an illustrative scenario for a new dependent undergraduate with no prior federal student or Parent PLUS borrowing, using the federal loan limits in effect since July 1, 2026. If your student has prior federal loans, or was enrolled in college before July 1, 2026, different limits may apply. See studentaid.gov for the rules that apply to your family.

Federal student loans, in the student's name. Limit: in year one, over four years. In this scenario: in year one, over four years. Illustrative payment: about a month. The student repays these after leaving school.

Federal Parent PLUS loans, in a parent's name. Limit: $20,000 a year, $65,000 total for this student. In this scenario: in year one, over four years. Illustrative payment: about a month. A parent repays these, and payments can begin while the student is enrolled unless the parent requests deferment.

Above the federal limits. in year one, over four years. This portion would need to come from savings, a private loan, a different school, or a smaller gap. Illustrative payment: about a month.

These three add up to the a month shown above.

Year by year, federal loans could cover: in year one, in year two, in year three, and in year four.

These are federal limits, not eligibility. Federal student loans require the FAFSA, at least half-time enrollment, and other conditions. Parent PLUS requires a credit check and an approved parent borrower. Rates are set each July and published at studentaid.gov, and Parent PLUS carries an origination fee. This illustration uses one 6% rate and 20-year term for every portion, allocates borrowing to student loans first, and reflects no actual loan's rate, fee, or term. It assumes full-time enrollment, no prior federal borrowing for this student, and the same annual figures in each of four years. Federal limits under the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, effective July 1, 2026.

CollegeClearly's 20-year comparison framework, not a specific loan product. See methodology.

Compare with the other colleges on your list Put this payment in perspective How this is calculated

One real case, with the college’s own published figures.

An out-of-state student at the University of Mississippi with a 3.6 GPA and a 31 on the ACT qualifies for a published scholarship of $15,000 a year. That brings the college’s $52,938 cost of attendance down to $37,938. If the family can pay $10,000 a year, $27,938 a year is left. Borrowed for four years, that is $111,752, or about $810 a month for twenty years after graduation. Federal loans in the student’s and a parent’s names could cover $25,500 of the first year; the rest would have to come from somewhere else. Ole Miss, line by line.

Some colleges have full pages here, with every published cost line, the scholarship chart, and the date we read each one. See which colleges have them. The search above covers about 2,100 colleges either way.

Cost figures are each college’s own published numbers where we have them and federal data where we don’t, shown with the year they reflect. No college, lender, or partner has any say in what you see. About CollegeClearly.