The Cost of Attendance (COA) is a standardized set of budgets used as a basis for determining maximum financial aid eligibility. Standard COA includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, transportation, and personal expenses. Cost of Attendance can vary depending on program of study, living arrangements while in school, and a variety of other factors. Cost of Attendance can also be increased by exception to include expenses such as health insurance, computer purchase, child care, and additional fees.
The information on this page is intended to help students determine their total direct costs (costs paid directly to DigiPen) and indirect costs (costs associated with a student going to school but not paid directly to DigiPen) for a year at DigiPen Institute of Technology.
Students are encouraged to review the costs below and use them to calculate a budget for the year.
Except for tuition and fees, the budgeted costs shown below are based on students’ average expenses and include a living allowance to provide for reasonable expenditures.
It is important for students and parents to discuss how the family will pay for college. See How to Apply for Financial Aid for more on acquiring need- and merit-based funding to help pay for your college education. Please see the current Budget Sheet for help creating your own personalized budget.
2023-24 Costs
The following budgets provide cost estimates for one year of attendance at DigiPen as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student living near campus or living with parents.
Undergraduate (Full-Time)
“Full-Time” is determined as “12 credits or more per semester.” Students who are planning to attend less than full-time need to contact the Office of Financial Aid to have their budget re-determined. Indirect costs are calculated averages and not billed to the school, but are associated with the cost of attending college.
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $18,700 | $37,400 | $18,700 | $37,400 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $8,120 | $16,240 | $3,848 | $7,696 |
| Books and Supplies | $355 | $710 | $355 | $710 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Software Costs*** | $179 | $358 | $179 | $358 |
| Loan Fees | $61 | $122 | $61 | $122 |
| Transportation | $884 | $1,768 | $884 | $1,768 |
| Personal Expenses | $872 | $1,744 | $872 | $1,744 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $30,601 | $59,772 | $26,329 | $51,228 |
*Assumes 16-22 credits per semester at $18,600 flat rate, and $100 in administrative fees per semester. Students enrolled for less than 16 credits a semester are charged at the per credit rate of $1,200/credit.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
***Software Costs are only for the BFA and BAGD programs and are based on average cost of required software.
Graduate (Full-Time)
“Full-Time” is determined as “9 credits or more per semester” and students are billed per credit hour. Students who are planning to attend less than full-time need to contact the Office of Financial Aid to have their budget re-determined. Indirect costs are calculated averages and not billed to the school, but are associated with the cost of attending college.
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $11,710 | $23,420 | $11,710 | $23,420 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $8,120 | $16,240 | $3,848 | $7,696 |
| Books and Supplies | $355 | $710 | $335 | $710 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Software Costs*** | $243 | $486 | $243 | $486 |
| Loan Fees | $82 | $164 | $82 | $164 |
| Transportation | $884 | $1,768 | $884 | $1,768 |
| Personal Expenses | $872 | $1,744 | $872 | $1,744 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $23,696 | $45,962 | $19,424 | $37,418 |
*Assumes 9 credits per semester at $1,290 per credit, and $100 in administrative fees per semester.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
***Software Costs are only for the MFA program and are based on average cost of required software.
Graduate (Flat Rate)
“Flat-rate” is determined as “12-18 credits per semester” and students are billed at a flat rate.
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $15,600 | $31,200 | $15,600 | $31,200 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $8,120 | $16,240 | $3,848 | $7,696 |
| Books and Supplies | $355 | $710 | $335 | $710 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Software Costs*** | $243 | $486 | $243 | $486 |
| Loan Fees | $82 | $164 | $82 | $164 |
| Transportation | $884 | $1,768 | $884 | $1,768 |
| Personal Expenses | $872 | $1,744 | $872 | $1,744 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $27,586 | $53,742 | $23,314 | $45,198 |
*Assumes 12-18 credits per semester at a $15,500 flat rate, and $100 in administrative fees per semester.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
***Software Costs are only for the MFA program and are based on average cost of required software.
2022-23 Costs
The following budgets provide cost estimates for one year of attendance at DigiPen as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student living near campus or living with parents.
Undergraduate (Full-Time)
“Full-Time” is determined as “12 credits or more per semester.” Students who are planning to attend less than full-time need to contact the Office of Financial Aid to have their budget re-determined. Indirect costs are calculated averages and not billed to the school, but are associated with the cost of attending college.
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $17,950 | $35,900 | $17,950 | $35,900 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $7,556 | $15,112 | $1,644 | $3,288 |
| Books and Supplies | $440 | $880 | $440 | $880 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Software Costs*** | $172 | $344 | $172 | $344 |
| Loan Fees | $59 | $118 | $59 | $118 |
| Transportation | $588 | $1,176 | $588 | $1,176 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,176 | $2,352 | $1,176 | $2,352 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $29,371 | $57,312 | $23,459 | $45,488 |
*Assumes 16-22 credits per semester at $17,850 flat rate, and $100 in administrative fees per semester. Students enrolled for less than 16 credits a semester are charged at the per credit rate of $1,150/credit.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
***Software Costs are only for the BFA, BAGD, BAMSD, and BSCSDA programs and are based on average cost of required software.
Graduate (MS in Computer Science, Full-Time)
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $11,233 | $22,466 | $11,233 | $22,466 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $7,556 | $15,112 | $3,968 | $7,936 |
| Books and Supplies | $440 | $880 | $440 | $880 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Loan Fees | $96 | $192 | $96 | $192 |
| Transportation | $588 | $1,176 | $588 | $1,176 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,176 | $2,352 | $1,176 | $2,352 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $22,519 | $43,608 | $18,931 | $36,432 |
*Assumes 9 credits per semester at $1,237 per credit, and $100 in administrative fees per semester.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
Graduate (MFA in Digital Arts, Full-Time)
| Costs | Off-Campus Per Semester | Off-Campus Per Year | With Parents Per Semester | With Parents Per Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Costs to DigiPen | ||||
| Tuition and Fees* | $14,970 | $29,940 | $14,970 | $29,940 |
| Indirect Costs | ||||
| Housing and Food | $7,556 | $15,112 | $3,968 | $7,936 |
| Software Costs | $155 | $310 | $155 | $310 |
| Books and Supplies | $440 | $880 | $440 | $880 |
| Laptop Computer** | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 | $1,430 |
| Loan Fees | $96 | $192 | $96 | $192 |
| Transportation | $588 | $1,176 | $588 | $1,176 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,176 | $2,352 | $1,176 | $2,352 |
| Cost of Attendance | ||||
| Total | $26,411 | $51,392 | $22,823 | $44,216 |
*Assumes 12 credits per semester at a $14,870 flat rate, and $100 in administrative fees per semester.
**Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.
Net Price Calculator
The Net Price Calculator is designed to help you estimate your potential financial aid options and calculate the remaining costs of attending DigiPen. The final “net price” is the remaining estimated cost of attending DigiPen after subtracting anticipated merit- and need-based financial aid. To use this calculator, you will need tax information (or estimates, if tax info is unavailable) for you and your parents. The results of this calculator are based on the costs of attendance for students from previous years and are for estimation purposes only.