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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.

Cost of Attendance

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, housing, food, books, supplies, laptop, 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 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.

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.

2024-25 Cost of Attendance

“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.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per YearWith Parents Per SemesterWith Parents Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Flat Rate Tuition*$19,300$38,600$19,300$38,600
Administrative Fee$100$200$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512$6,560$13,120
Books and Supplies$372$744$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587$1,587$1,587
Software Costs****$192$384$192$384
Loan Fees$64$128$64$128
Transportation$1,000$2,000$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$33,508$65,279$30,312$58,887

*Assumes 16-22 credits per semester at $19,300 flat rate tuition. Students enrolled for less than 16 credits a semester are charged tuition at $1,245 per credit.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.

****The BFA and BA in Game Design programs have additional software costs included in their cost of attendance based on average cost of required software.

“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.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per YearWith Parents Per SemesterWith Parents Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Tuition*$12,060$24,120$12,060$24,120
Administrative Fee$100$200$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512$6,560$13,120
Books and Supplies$372$744$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587$1,587$1,587
Loan Fees$104$208$104$208
Transportation$1,000$2,000$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$26,116$50,495$22,920$44,103

*Assumes 9 credits per semester at $1,340 per credit.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.

“Flat-rate” is determined as “12-18 credits per semester” and students are billed at a flat rate.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per YearWith Parents Per SemesterWith Parents Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Tuition*$16,100$32,200$16,100$32,200
Administrative Fee$100$200$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512$6,560$13,120
Books and Supplies$372$744$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587$1,587$1,587
Software Costs****$250$500$250$500
Loan Fees$104$208$104$208
Transportation$1,000$2,000$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$30,406$59,075$27,210$52,683

*Assumes 12-18 credits per semester at a $16,100 flat rate.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***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.

“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.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Flat Rate Tuition*$21,500$43,000
Administrative Fee$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512
Books and Supplies$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587
Software Costs****$192$384
Transportation$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$35,644$69,551

*Assumes 16-22 credits per semester at $21,500 flat rate tuition. Students enrolled for less than 16 credits a semester are charged tuition at $1,400 per credit.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.

****The BFA and BA in Game Design programs have additional software costs included in their cost of attendance based on average cost of required software.

“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.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Tuition*$13,320$26,640
Administrative Fee$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512
Books and Supplies$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587
Transportation$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$27,272$52,807

*Assumes 9 credits per semester at $1,480 per credit.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***Laptop is budgeted as a one-time expense during the first semester only.

“Flat-rate” is determined as “12-18 credits per semester” and students are billed at a flat rate.

Fall and Spring Semesters
CostsOff-Campus Per SemesterOff-Campus Per Year
Direct Costs to DigiPen
Tuition*$17,650$35,300
Administrative Fee$100$200
Student Activities Fee$75$150
New Student Orientation Fee**$150$150
Indirect Costs
Living Expenses, Housing, and Food$9,756$19,512
Books and Supplies$372$744
Laptop Computer***$1,587$1,587
Software Costs****$250$500
Transportation$1,000$2,000
Personal Expenses$912$1,824
Cost of Attendance
Total$31,852$61,967

*Assumes 12-18 credits per semester at a $17,650 flat rate.

**New Student Orientation Fee at start of first semester only.

***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.

Tuition

At DigiPen, tuition is calculated based on the number of credits taken per semester. If you take fewer than 16 credits (for undergraduates) or 12 credits (for graduates) during a given semester, the cost is determined per credit. If you take 16-22 credits (for undergraduates) or 12-18 credits (for graduates) during a given semester, the cost is a flat rate instead.

Undergraduate Tuition Cost for the 2024-25 Academic Year

$38,600

U.S. Citizens and Residents

$43,000

Non-U.S. Residents

The average full-time DigiPen undergraduate student takes 17-20 credits per semester. Undergraduate students typically carry a heavier course load during their first two years.


2024-25 Academic Year

The following tuition rates are for all students enrolling for the 2024-25 academic year.

2024-25 Undergraduate Tuition
Tuition Cost BreakdownU.S. Citizens and ResidentsNon-U.S. Residents

Cost per Credit

Fewer than 16 credits

$1,245/credit$1,400/credit

Cost per Semester

16-22 Credit Flat Rate

$19,300$21,500

Cost per Year

16-22 Credit Flat Rate

$38,600$43,000
2024-25 Graduate Tuition
Tuition Cost BreakdownU.S. Citizens and ResidentsNon-U.S. Residents

Cost per Credit

Fewer than 12 credits

$1,340/credit$1,480/credit

Cost per Semester

12-18 Credit Flat Rate

$16,100$17,650

Cost per Year

12-18 Credit Flat Rate

$32,200$35,300

* Full-time students in the MS in Computer Science program take 9 credits per semester and should estimate tuition costs on a per credit basis. Full-time students in the MFA in Digital Arts program should estimate tuition costs at the 12-18 credit flat rate.

Undergraduate Tuition Cost for the 2023-24 Academic Year

$37,200

U.S. Citizens and Residents

$41,380

Non-U.S. Residents

The average full-time DigiPen undergraduate student takes 17-20 credits per semester. Undergraduate students typically carry a heavier course load during their first two years.


2023-24 Academic Year

The following tuition rates are for all students enrolling for the 2023-24 academic year.

2023-24 Undergraduate Tuition
Tuition Cost BreakdownU.S. Citizens and ResidentsNon-U.S. Residents

Cost per Credit

Fewer than 16 credits

$1,200/credit$1,350/credit

Cost per Semester

16-22 Credit Flat Rate

$18,600$20,690

Cost per Year

16-22 Credit Flat Rate

$37,200$41,380
2023-24 Graduate Tuition
Tuition Cost BreakdownU.S. Citizens and ResidentsNon-U.S. Residents

Cost per Credit

Fewer than 12 credits

$1,290/credit$1,425/credit

Cost per Semester

12-18 Credit Flat Rate

$15,500$16,990

Cost per Year

12-18 Credit Flat Rate

$31,000$33,980

* Full-time students in the MS in Computer Science program take 9 credits per semester and should estimate tuition costs on a per credit basis. Full-time students in the MFA in Digital Arts program should estimate tuition costs at the 12-18 credit flat rate.

Fees

In addition to tuition, students must pay certain fees while attending DigiPen. The following fee amounts were last updated upon publication of the 2024-25 Course Catalog.

Required Fees for 2024-25

Unless otherwise noted, all students must pay the following fees.

Type of FeeCost
Application Fee
This fee must accompany your application form. The application fee is refundable if you cancel your application and request a refund within three days of submitting the application fee. This fee can be waived for students who demonstrate financial need through an SAT fee-waiver program or who participate in a similar need-based program. DigiPen also provides fee waivers to applicants who visit the campus for an admissions meeting or on-site information session or who attend an online outreach event.
$60
Enrollment Fee
Upon acceptance into a degree program, an enrollment fee must be paid to confirm enrollment. If you cancel enrollment, you may request a refund of the enrollment fee within three days of signing the enrollment agreement and making an initial payment.
$150
Administrative Fee
This fee covers administrative support for students, such as a limited number of transcript requests, add/drop requests, and enrollment verification. This fee also covers the technology available in workspaces and classrooms and the maintenance costs associated with the upkeep of the equipment.
$100/semester
Student Activities Fee
The Student Engagement fee assists in funding the cocurricular experience at DigiPen. The funding will be split between the Associated Students of DigiPen (20%), Registered Student Organizations (20%) and the Dragons Activities Board (60%). This funding provides social and educational programs to the campus community and assists with the holistic DigiPen experience. This funding is managed by the Office of Student Engagement and is the only funding whose spending is directly influenced by students.
$75/semester
New Student Orientation (NSO) Fee
This fee assists with covering programmatic and meal needs for orientation and the first week of cocurricular programming.
$150 start of first semester only
Course Fees
Some courses may require lab or material fees.
Please refer to course descriptions on Colleague CSS

Other Fees

Students must pay the following fees for special or unusual circumstances.

Type of FeeCost
Alumni Audit Fees
DigiPen alumni may audit courses at a significantly reduced cost. Tuition, application, and enrollment fees are waived, but alumni must pay any course, administrative, and technology fees. Fees are non-refundable for alumni audits.
See individual course descriptions for any additional course fees
Readmission Fee
A $25 application fee must accompany the readmission application form. The application fee is refundable if the applicant requests a refund within three days after submitting the application fee and cancels their application.
$25
Delinquent Account Fee
A monthly service fee is applied to delinquent accounts. A student’s account is considered delinquent if the student has a balance due on the first day of the month following the start of the semester.
$50/month
Replacement Diploma Fee
This fee covers the cost to replace a missing or lost diploma.
Variable depending on shipping costs

Required Fees for 2023-24

Unless otherwise noted, all students must pay the following fees.

Type of FeeCost
Application Fee
This fee must accompany your application form. The application fee is refundable if you cancel your application and request a refund within three days of submitting the application fee. This fee can be waived for students who demonstrate financial need through an SAT fee-waiver program or who participate in a similar need-based program. DigiPen also provides fee waivers to applicants who visit the campus for an admissions meeting or on-site information session or who attend an online outreach event.
$60
Enrollment Fee
Upon acceptance into a degree program, an enrollment fee must be paid to confirm enrollment. If you cancel enrollment, you may request a refund of the enrollment fee within three days of signing the enrollment agreement and making an initial payment.
$150
Administrative Fee
This fee covers administrative support for students, such as a limited number of transcript requests, add/drop requests, and enrollment verification.
$50/semester
Technology Fee
This fee covers the technology available in workspaces and classrooms and the maintenance costs associated with the upkeep of the equipment.
$50/semester
Course Fees
Some courses may require lab or material fees.
Please refer to course descriptions on Colleague CSS

Other Fees

Students must pay the following fees for special or unusual circumstances.

Type of FeeCost
Alumni Audit Fees
DigiPen alumni may audit courses at a significantly reduced cost. Tuition, application, and enrollment fees are waived, but alumni must pay any course, administrative, and technology fees. Fees are non-refundable for alumni audits.
See individual course descriptions for any additional course fees
Readmission Fee
A $25 application fee must accompany the readmission application form. The application fee is refundable if the applicant requests a refund within three days after submitting the application fee and cancels their application.
$25
Delinquent Account Fee
A monthly service fee is applied to delinquent accounts. A student’s account is considered delinquent if the student has a balance due on the first day of the month following the start of the semester.
$50/month
Replacement Diploma Fee
This fee covers the cost to replace a missing or lost diploma.
Variable depending on shipping costs

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.

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