by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Sul Ross State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Sul Ross, 53% of first-year students take on loan debt, at roughly $5,201 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
Federal loans alone average $4,351, or about 79.1% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Sul Ross, 41% rely on federal student loans toward their education, at an average of $6,244 a year. This works out to 43.5% greater than the $4,351 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,488 after two years and $24,976 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 41% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,244 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 584 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,646,541 |
The median student at Sul Ross borrows $11,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $15,900 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,102 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Sul Ross.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,251 |
| 25th percentile | $4,215 |
| 75th percentile | $17,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $28,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Sul Ross.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Sul Ross.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 225 | $8,840 |
| Completed (graduates) | 97 | $8,000 |
| Did not complete | 128 | $9,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $95.13/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Sul Ross.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 181 | $8,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 44 | $12,260 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Sul Ross.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Sul Ross appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 13.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 744 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,250 |
| Middle income | $11,320 |
| High income | $9,250 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $11,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,256 |
| Independent students | $12,767 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Sul Ross.
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.
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.