by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Bellarmine University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Bellarmine U, 50% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $6,837 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,311, which is 96.6% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at Bellarmine U (freshmen included), 50% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $6,596 each per year. That amounts to 24.2% larger than the first-year federal average of $5,311.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,192 over two years and about $26,384 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 | 50% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,596 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,150 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,585,744 |
The median student at Bellarmine U borrows $20,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $20,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,250 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Bellarmine U.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Bellarmine U.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Bellarmine U.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 422 | $18,213 |
| Completed (graduates) | 283 | $23,000 |
| Did not complete | 139 | $12,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $273.49/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Bellarmine U.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 386 | $19,088 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 36 | $12,713 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Bellarmine U.
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 Bellarmine U appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 677 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $21,500 |
| Middle income | $19,500 |
| High income | $19,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bellarmine U.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Did You Know?
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.