Newark, DE · Public · Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
How to pay for University of Delaware
What a year costs here, what brings it down, and what paying in the order that costs least is worth for a family like yours.
Paying for four years here
Four years here, after grants
$96,566
Paying it in the order that costs least saves a family like this about $5,387.
Your plan shows, with your own numbers:
- Which money pays each bill, semester by semester
- Which loans to take, if any, and what they will cost a month
- The dates that matter, from the FAFSA to the first bill
Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get a reminder when it does.
A family of four with $500 a month for college. How we worked these out ↓
A year at University of Delaware
| Full price, in state | $37,239 |
| Full price, out of state | $64,771 |
| After grants, at your income | $22,432 |
At this income, 1 of Delaware's other 2 colleges cost less after grants, and 1 cost more. See them all →
What can bring it down
Merit scholarships. In state: $2,000 to $7,000 a year, typical amounts for five scholarships set on an internal calculation, not the high school GPA; kept with a 3.0 GPA (and 1 more below).
University of Delaware's promise. First State Promise — tuition, fees, standard housing and food for family incomes under $35,000. The conditions ↓
Get reminders for the dates that matter
We'll email you on the dates that matter: when the FAFSA opens, when award letters arrive, and before you choose a college and pay the first bill. If college is two or more years away, we'll also email you when the tax year that counts begins and when it has a month left.
Considering more than one college?
Put the schools you are considering on one list and we price each of them for your family. It is free. It asks what you earn and what you have saved, never your name.
Put your schools side by side →Merit scholarships
What University of Delaware says it awards for grades and test scores.
In state: $2,000 to $7,000 a year, typical amounts for five scholarships set on an internal calculation, not the high school GPA; kept with a 3.0 GPA
“Merit offers are based on an internal calculation that is not the same as high-school reported GPA.”
Out of state: $4,000 to $17,000 a year, typical ranges for five scholarships set on an internal calculation, not the high school GPA
“Merit offers are based on an internal calculation that is not the same as high-school reported GPA.”
Published guarantees you may qualify for
We do not assume you qualify for any of these, and our plans never bank on them. Check each against your own situation with the aid office.
First State Promise — tuition, fees, standard housing and food for family incomes under $35,000
Household income up to $34,999. Covers tuition, fees, housing.
- For Delawareans entering the University of Delaware as freshmen on the Newark campus; it does not apply to transfer students or to course-related fees for freshmen.
- The student must file the FAFSA each year and meet the income requirements. Household size, and family assets above $50,000 (not counting the primary residence), may affect eligibility for need-based grants.
“Students with a family income of less than $35,000 receive a financial package that allows them to attend UD at little or no up-front cost. The package covers tuition, fees, standard housing and food expenses.”
First State Promise — full tuition and mandatory fees for family incomes up to $75,000
Household income up to $75,000. Covers tuition, fees.
- For Delawareans entering the University of Delaware as freshmen on the Newark campus; it does not apply to transfer students or to course-related fees for freshmen.
- The student must file the FAFSA each year and meet the income requirements. Household size, and family assets above $50,000 (not counting the primary residence), may affect eligibility for need-based grants.
“Students with family incomes between $35,000 and $75,000 will receive a financial aid package that covers their full tuition and mandatory fees”
How we worked these out
The family
A family of four with $500 a month to put toward college, and the savings you pick. In state, the grants are what University of Delaware reports families at that income got, on average. Your own will differ, and a family with no aid pays close to the full price. Out of state, there are no grants: the price is before any scholarship from the college.
What the order saves
The difference, over four years, between paying in the order that costs least and the usual way: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest and the federal tax credit.
The prices by income
- They describe students who got aid.
- “Over $110,000” has no upper limit, so it averages families just over $110,000 with far wealthier ones. A family at $115,000 should expect to pay less than it shows.
- Each range is reported on its own, so the prices do not always rise with income.
Where the prices come from
Where the prices come from: University of Delaware's own 2026-27 tuition, fees, housing, food and books, from its website, carried forward to 2027 at 3.0% a year. The grants are the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (2024-25 figures), carried forward the same way. Each price after grants is the cost less those grants. The out-of-state figure uses the published out-of-state tuition instead. The average price after grants counts the students who get federal aid. Your own figure will be different.
University of Delaware's own budget for 2026-27 is $39,154. It also counts costs the university doesn't bill for, such as travel and personal spending. We leave those out.
SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by University of Delaware. Aid policies change; check current terms with the college's aid office.
Nearby at your income
- Delaware State University$20,729 a year
- University of Delaware$22,432 a year
- Goldey-Beacom College$30,173 a year
What each college charges, less the average grant for your income. Every Delaware college →