by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Lincoln Memorial University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at LMU, 39% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $5,797 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,167, which is 93.9% 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 LMU, freshmen included, 53% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $8,468 annually. This works out to 63.9% larger than the $5,167 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $16,936 across two years and $33,872 after four. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 53% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,468 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 793 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,715,136 |
The median student at LMU borrows $15,337 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,337 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
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 LMU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $6,250 |
| 75th percentile | $20,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $26,800 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at LMU.
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 LMU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 561 | $13,930 |
| Completed (graduates) | 389 | $14,000 |
| Did not complete | 172 | $12,133 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $166.47/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at LMU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 520 | $13,965 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 41 | $13,896 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at LMU.
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 LMU appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1628 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,694 |
| Middle income | $15,000 |
| High income | $15,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,500 |
| Independent students | $20,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at LMU.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.