by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Arclabs, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Arclabs, 80% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $7,763 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $7,763. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Arclabs, 59% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, borrowing on average $7,909 per year. This works out to 1.9% more than the $7,763 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $15,818 in two years and roughly $31,636 by the fourth year. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 59% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,909 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 740 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,852,958 |
The middle borrower at Arclabs owes $6,944 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,944 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,750 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Arclabs.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,816 |
| 25th percentile | $4,441 |
| 75th percentile | $9,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $9,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Arclabs.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Arclabs.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 223 | $8,577 |
| Completed (graduates) | 180 | $9,186 |
| Did not complete | 43 | $5,580 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $109.23/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Arclabs.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 211 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 12 | — |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Arclabs.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $5,500 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,389 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Arclabs.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Important to Remember
Unlike most other debt, federal student loans generally survive bankruptcy — and unpaid balances can lead to wage garnishment — so borrow only what you truly need.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.