How should I compare affordability between Johns Hopkins and UVA as an out-of-state student?

Start with each school’s official financial-aid offer, not its published cost of attendance. Johns Hopkins has a much higher sticker price, but it states that it meets demonstrated financial need for admitted domestic students and packages need-based aid without loans. UVA’s out-of-state tuition is substantially higher than its Virginia resident rate, but UVA also commits to meeting demonstrated need for eligible undergraduates who apply for aid on time; the exact result for your family may still differ because the schools calculate need differently.

Compare the net cost line by line: grants and scholarships that do not need repayment, federal work-study, federal loans, parent loans, and any amount your family is expected to pay from income or savings. Treat work-study as money you can earn during the year, not as an upfront discount, and do not count Parent PLUS or private loans as financial aid that makes a school more affordable.

At Hopkins, pay close attention to whether the offer’s institutional grant is renewable for four years and what academic or enrollment conditions apply. At UVA, confirm the out-of-state tuition and housing assumptions used in your award, since those are major drivers of the bill. For both schools, include realistic travel costs, health insurance if you will use the university plan, books, personal expenses, and likely annual tuition or housing increases.

Merit awards should be evaluated separately from need-based aid. Hopkins merit scholarships are limited and highly selective, while UVA has some major competitive scholarship opportunities, but neither should be assumed unless it is already in your written offer. If one package has a larger first-year grant but less clarity about future years, ask each financial-aid office for a four-year projection and whether your aid changes if family finances remain similar.

The most useful final comparison is your estimated four-year family cost after grants, using the same assumptions for both schools. Also consider whether either school’s remaining annual gap would require borrowing beyond the standard federal student loan amount; that difference often matters more than a modest gap in first-year price.