by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Abilene Christian University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Abilene Christian, 43% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, at roughly $12,061 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,328, or about 96.9% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Abilene Christian, 41% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $9,760 in federal loans per year. This works out to 83.2% higher than the first-year federal average of $5,328.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $19,520 after two years and $39,040 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 41% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,760 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,272 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $12,414,252 |
The median student at Abilene Christian borrows $14,750 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,334 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Abilene Christian.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,500 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Abilene Christian.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Abilene Christian.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 563 | $23,205 |
| Completed (graduates) | 328 | $26,542 |
| Did not complete | 235 | $20,485 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $315.61/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Abilene Christian.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 553 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 10 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 521 | $23,522 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 42 | $12,010 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Abilene Christian.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Abilene Christian follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1202 |
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 | $11,000 |
| Middle income | $15,750 |
| High income | $17,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,875 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,511 |
| Independent students | $7,077 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Abilene Christian.
Subsidized and 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.
Did You Know?
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.