by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Amherst College— 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.
Among first-year students at Amherst, 12% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $11,811 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $5,285, which is 96.1% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
For undergraduates overall at Amherst, 8% rely on federal student loans toward their education, at an average of $5,397 annually. This is 2.1% more than the $5,285 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $10,794 after two years and $21,588 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 8% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,397 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 160 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $863,509 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Amherst carry a median federal debt of $12,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,740 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,254 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Amherst.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,200 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $19,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Amherst.
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 Amherst.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 91 | $48,810 |
| Completed (graduates) | 60 | $47,598 |
| Did not complete | 31 | $50,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $565.99/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Amherst.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 64 | $36,027 |
| No Stafford loan | 27 | $74,690 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 62 | $36,027 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 29 | $74,690 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Amherst.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Amherst follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 133 |
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 | $9,100 |
| Middle income | $11,561 |
| High income | $12,718 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,501 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Amherst.
Subsidized and 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.
Worth Knowing
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.