by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Baker University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Baker, 63% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $7,266 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,272, which is 95.9% 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.
Across the full undergraduate body at Baker (freshmen included), 60% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $9,035 in federal loans per year. This works out to 71.4% greater than the freshman federal average of $5,272.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $18,070 over two years and about $36,140 over a four-year span. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 60% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,035 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 646 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,836,610 |
The median student at Baker borrows $18,530 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,530 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Baker.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,045 |
| 25th percentile | $8,561 |
| 75th percentile | $28,153 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,274 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Baker.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Baker.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 373 | $13,601 |
| Completed (graduates) | 253 | $13,476 |
| Did not complete | 120 | $14,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $160.24/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Baker.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 323 | $14,409 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 50 | $10,941 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Baker.
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 Baker follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1550 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,445 |
| Middle income | $20,000 |
| High income | $16,815 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,765 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,375 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Baker.
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
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.