by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, 60% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, with a typical loan of $8,032 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,182, or about 94.2% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. 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 Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, freshmen included, 58% rely on federal student loans toward their education, at an average of $6,087 each per year. This works out to 17.5% more than the $5,182 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,174 in two years and roughly $24,348 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 58% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,087 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 5,374 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $32,711,578 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania carry a median federal debt of $19,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,668 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,076 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1532 | $19,658 |
| Completed (graduates) | 972 | $26,233 |
| Did not complete | 560 | $14,354 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $311.94/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1505 | $20,000 |
| No Stafford loan | 27 | $9,885 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1451 | $20,183 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 81 | $10,680 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2092 |
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 | $19,500 |
| Middle income | $20,000 |
| High income | $19,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $19,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Important to Remember
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.