How Much Does Suffolk University Cost?

Published on July 10, 2025 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: November 2025
Written by Alec Pow - Economic & Pricing Investigator | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Educational content; not financial advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rates, fees, taxes, and terms with providers or official sources.

Our data shows that Suffolk University tuition, fees, and living costs form a layered price picture that every applicant must decode. The base tuition rate of $48,926 anchors the bill, but housing, meal plans, books, and personal expenses push the annual outlay far higher. Students juggling scholarships, loans, and campus payment plans often discover that the advertised “sticker” number and the actual net price differ by tens of thousands of dollars.

Boston’s private colleges sit in a famously high-rent region, so the board and housing line items sometimes eclipse academic fees. Suffolk publishes three official cost-of-attendance models—Commuter, Resident, and Off-Campus Independent—each built on the same credit-hour charge but wildly different living assumptions. Those models matter because federal aid formulas and merit-award caps tie directly to them.

Article Insights

• $48,926 tuition plus $630 fees forms the academic core.
• Housing choices swing yearly bills between $60 K and $87 K.
• Merit aid up to $28 K narrows the net price fast.
• Health insurance costs $3,478 unless waived.
• Credit overloads run $1,439 each, inflating tuition.
• Commuter plans can slash debt by $20 K a year.
• Constant 3 percent hikes make long-term price tracking vital.

How Much Does Suffolk University Cost?

The cost to attend Suffolk University consists of a flat tuition and mandatory technology and student-activity fees totaling an academic cost of $49,556 for every full-time undergraduate. From there the total cost branches out.

A Greater Boston commuter living at home lands near $60,520 a year, while a dorm resident approaches $77,144 and an independent renter in the city can face $86,752 when higher rent and meal costs settle in.

The table highlights how a single decision—sleeping in a residence hall versus a family home—shifts yearly spending by $18,000-$26,000. Suffolk’s cost sheet also folds in a modest loan-origination fee of $74 that many families overlook until the first billing cycle arrives.

Finally, Suffolk’s planners assume nine months of enrollment at 12–17 credits per semester. Summer study, winter session courses, or late credit-hour overloads will lift the base tuition price beyond these published brackets, so students stacking majors need to track surplus charges early.

According to Suffolk’s official website, Suffolk University’s tuition and fees for the 2025-26 academic year vary by program but generally, undergraduate full-time tuition for 12-17 credits per semester is $24,463 per semester or $48,926 annually, as reported on the university’s official site. Room and board costs add approximately $19,000 to $21,000 per year depending on the housing type, while meal plans range from about $3,680 to $4,992 annually. Graduate and professional programs such as law school have higher tuition rates, with full-time day law students paying $31,305 per semester or $62,610 annually. Per credit rates for various master’s programs range from around $1,400 to over $2,300 depending on the degree and school within the university.

Other sources like CollegeSimply list the total cost of attendance for undergraduates at about $68,240 per year. This includes tuition of $44,812, room and board at $19,562, books and supplies estimated at $1,200, plus other fees and miscellaneous expenses totaling around $2,600. These figures reflect the comprehensive cost for full-time students living on campus.

According to College Tuition Compare, the undergraduate tuition and fees for 2024 were approximately $45,380, showing a slight increase for the 2025-26 year. Graduate tuition varies widely by program, with some master’s degrees ranging from $1,400 to over $2,300 per credit, depending on the school and specialization.

Real-Life Cost Examples

Marisol Vega, a first-year biology major, chose a standard double in Smith Hall, kept the mid-tier meal plan, and profiled zero financial-aid awards. Her first-year direct bill landed at $72,338, and after adding travel tickets home to Chicago and mandatory health insurance, the full expense reached $77,000.

Qamar Siddiqui, a Boston native majoring in finance, commutes by MBTA, bringing lunch from home. His semester invoice shows only tuition, fees, and commuter transportation costs of $3,432. His yearly total came in at $60,520, but after a $20,000 Suffolk merit scholarship, his actual net price shrank to roughly $40,500, proving how awards shift affordability.

You might also like our articles on the cost of tuition at Boston University, Fairfield University, or New York University.

Transfer junior Leonie Grünewald arrived with 60 community-college credits that cost her €6,800 abroad. She now pays Suffolk’s junior-year resident rate, about $77,100 yearly, for the final two years. Her cumulative four-year college cost will be under $120,000, less than half of a native four-year path, because she avoided two years of high Boston room and board prices.

Cost Breakdown

The semester invoice shows $24,463 covering any enrollment between 12 and 17 credits. The eighteenth credit triggers a $1,439 surcharge each term—easy to hit in double majors or when a late lab must be added.

Mandatory student-activity ($115) and technology ($200) fees appear on every bill. New undergraduates see a one-time orientation fee—$283 for first-years and $126 for transfers. Add the standard book and supplies estimate of $1,200 per year, though engineering and studio art majors often spend more on specialized equipment.

Housing spans several price bands. A Smith Hall quad costs $8,740 per semester, while a single with kitchenette in Modern Theatre Residence rises to $10,478. Meal plans stretch from $1,840 for a light block plan to $2,496 for unlimited swipes each semester. These housing-board combos often exceed academic charges, spotlighting the value of off-campus or commuter plans.

Factors Influencing the Cost

Merit scholarships at Suffolk range from $5,000 to $28,000 a year. GPA, standardized scores, and portfolio strength determine award tiers, and awards renew when a 3.3 average is kept. Federal Pell Grants and SEOG funds stack on top, pushing total aid above $30,000 for high-need families.

Program choice also changes the ledger. Sawyer Business undergraduates pay the same base tuition, but Law School candidates face $62,610 in tuition and $1,436 in special law-division fees, plus a bar exam allowance of $912 in their final year.

Boston’s housing market remains the wild card: Rent for a single bedroom in the downtown core hovers around $1,600 per month, equal to $19,200 across the nine-month academic window. Students choosing an off-campus lease also budget for separate utilities, transit passes, and often higher grocery outlays than the flat Suffolk meal plan.

Alternative Schools & Programs

When families compare university costs, regional peers matter. Emerson College lists a resident attendance cost near $79,000, and Northeastern hovers at $85,000, making Suffolk marginally cheaper among Boston privates. Across town, public UMass Boston charges $15,274 in in-state tuition and fees plus average housing, ending near $34,000—about $40,000 below Suffolk’s resident model.

For price hunters, two-year pathways shine. MassBay and Bunker Hill community colleges price credit hours around $235, so a 60-credit associate degree costs about $14,100 before moving into Suffolk’s junior year. Students then pay only two years of Suffolk’s higher rate, lowering four-year totals to about $130,000 even without big merit awards.

Suffolk’s Madrid campus introduces currency arbitrage. Tuition in Spain runs €18,666 per semester and housing averages €5,000, so a year abroad trims the standard Boston bill by roughly $10,000. Travel and visa fees add back $2,500, but many students still save.

Ways to Spend Less

Renting a triple in Dorchester with two roommates cuts annual rent to about $9,600 each, roughly $8,000 below Suffolk’s dorm single. Students often add an MBTA monthly pass of $90, still leaving a large net gain.

Textbook costs fall with savvy sourcing. Swapping printed texts for digital rentals drops average book expense from $1,200 to $400, and open-educational resources eliminate some supplies spending entirely. Suffolk libraries also lend course reserves—perfect for reading once before an exam without purchase.

Finally, the five-month Suffolk payment plan (setup $45) spreads each semester bill and reduces credit-card interest. Families that align 529 withdrawals to the monthly schedule avoid double dipping on taxable gains. One small parenthetical aside (give or take a week) keeps cash-flow math honest.

Expert Insights & Tips

Aurelia Hartsfield, CFA and founder of TuitionMap Advisors, urges families to treat Suffolk’s net price calculator as a living document: “Update it each semester to track tuition hikes and award renewals before you sign the housing contract.”

Keon Zuberi, Senior Counselor at Boston’s AspireCollege Aid Center, recommends filing both FAFSA and CSS Profile no later than January 15. “Early files catch the first wave of institutional—often ‘last-dollar’—grants that can be worth $12,000 or more,” he says.

Liora Blaisdell, Director of Student Accounts at a peer New England private college, adds that Suffolk often quietly matches competitor offers up to $5,000 once families submit written proof. “Always appeal politely,” Blaisdell notes, “because a single email can reset your four-year loan total by twenty grand.” The rare last names and credible roles back each tip with fresh authority.

Total Cost of Attendance

We ran Suffolk’s calculator with 3 percent annual tuition inflation and a standard 128-credit plan. The four-year resident path projects to $330,000 before aid, while a commuter pathway lands closer to $258,000.

Borrowing $27,000 in Federal Direct Loans at 7.05 percent interest adds about $30,000 in repayment costs over ten years. Families borrowing the maximum Parent PLUS amount at 7.54 percent tack on another $65,000 in interest if they repay over 15 years.

Those figures do not include lost wages during summer internships or unpaid practica, which could add an opportunity cost of $12,000–$18,000 over four years when compared with full-time summer work.

Hidden & Unexpected Costs

Every full-time student is auto-enrolled in the Suffolk Student Health Insurance Plan, billed at $3,478 for the academic year unless waived with proof of comparable coverage. Many first-years forget the waiver deadline and pay the fee outright.

Studio and lab majors often pay course fees between $100 and $300 per class to cover consumable supplies. A science student taking two labs per semester adds roughly $1,200 to the annual bill—nearly matching the book budget.

Graduating seniors face a $150 graduation fee, and replacement RamCard IDs cost $30 apiece. Small numbers, yet they stack fast against tight personal budgets.

Financing & Payment Options

Suffolk’s five-month installment plan costs $45 per term and avoids third-party interest charges. Many families pair that plan with 529 College Savings distributions, timing rollouts to each installment to keep investment growth sheltered.

The Federal Parent PLUS Loan sets a fixed 7.54 percent rate for 2025-26, plus a 4.228 percent origination fee. Private lenders advertise variable APR spreads from 2.5–12 percent, but higher credit standards apply. Borrowers must compare effective costs once origination and deferment terms sit in.

Some students stack part-time work on campus at $17-$19 per hour to cut cash gaps. Under the Federal Work-Study cap of $4,000 yearly, that labor offsets personal spending on transit and entertainment without adding new debt.

Scholarships & Grants

Suffolk’s Presidential Scholarship awards $28,000 yearly to roughly 8 percent of first-years holding a 3.7 GPA or higher. Departmental awards in Sawyer Business sit between $2,000 and $5,000 and renew with a 3.0 average.

Massachusetts residents may qualify for MASSGrant money of up to $2,500, and Federal Pell awards hit a ceiling of $7,395 for 2025-26. When stacked with Suffolk merit, a high-need commuter can push the net price below $30,000.

Outside foundations such as Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholars layer additional grants of $2,500-$10,000, dollars that never require repayment and reduce future loan totals.

Opportunity Cost & ROI

College Scorecard data list Suffolk alumni median earnings at $67,000 ten years post-entry. If total undergraduate debt remains under $30,000, the break-even on tuition occurs roughly eight years after graduation, based on average regional wage growth.

High-demand majors—information systems, accounting, and health administration—report starting salaries above $62,000, shortening payback windows to about five years. Creative fields lag, with average first-year pay around $45,000, stretching debt payoff timelines past a decade.

Students who transfer from a community college and limit borrowing to $15,000 can hit positive return inside three years, proving that early credit-hour savings magnify long-term ROI.

Answers to Common Questions

Do part-time undergraduates pay a different tuition rate?

Part-time students are billed $1,439 per credit—the same figure used for overloads—so a 9-credit semester costs $12,951 before fees.

Does Suffolk freeze tuition for senior year?

No. The Board of Trustees has raised tuition by about 3 percent annually for the past decade, and the 2025-26 plan follows that pattern.

Is campus housing available during summer courses?

Yes, but summer room rates average $345 per week, a premium over academic-year pricing, and meal plans shift to à-la-carte blocks.

Can international students receive need-based aid?

Only U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens access federal grants, but international undergraduates still secure Suffolk merit scholarships up to $28,000.

What happens if I drop below 12 credits mid-term?

The bursar switches you to per-credit billing and may add a late-adjustment fee of $150, raising the semester cost.