by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Among first-year students at Malcolm X College, 2% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $5,084 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,084, which is 92.4% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Looking at all undergraduates at Malcolm X College, freshmen included, 4% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $5,810 per year. This works out to 14.3% more than the $5,084 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $11,620 across two years and $23,240 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 4% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,810 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 223 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,295,574 |
The median student at Malcolm X College borrows $6,100 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,100 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $8,375 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,100 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Malcolm X College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $2,250 |
| 75th percentile | $7,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $11,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Malcolm X College.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Malcolm X College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 493 | $12,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 132 | $11,771 |
| Did not complete | 361 | $12,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $139.97/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Malcolm X College.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 47 | $13,500 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 446 | $11,694 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Malcolm X College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Malcolm X College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 70 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,000 |
| Middle income | $6,500 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,465 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,500 |
| Independent students | $7,150 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Malcolm X College.
Subsidized vs. 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.