by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Carthage Technical Center: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Carthage Technical Center, 100% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $7,987 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $7,167. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at Carthage Technical Center, 71% take out federal student loans, averaging $6,275 per year. This works out to 12.4% lower than the $7,167 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,550 by year two and around $25,100 over a four-year span. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 71% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,275 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 24 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $150,594 |
The median student at Carthage Technical Center borrows $14,458 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,458 |
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Carthage Technical Center.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 25th percentile | $5,840 |
| 75th percentile | $14,460 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Carthage Technical Center.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,458 |
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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.