by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Bellevue University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Bellevue University, 24% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $5,837 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,837. This reaches or tops the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap for a typical dependent student. 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 Bellevue University (freshmen included), 25% rely on federal student loans toward their education, at an average of $9,214 each per year. This is 57.9% above the $5,837 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $18,428 across two years and $36,856 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 | 25% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,214 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,564 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $23,625,456 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Bellevue University carry a median federal debt of $11,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,038 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Bellevue University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,167 |
| 25th percentile | $6,016 |
| 75th percentile | $22,969 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $29,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Bellevue University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Bellevue University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1889 | $11,868 |
| Completed (graduates) | 724 | $11,053 |
| Did not complete | 1165 | $12,010 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $131.43/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Bellevue University.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1862 | $11,914 |
| No Stafford loan | 27 | $10,715 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1049 | $11,152 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 840 | $12,612 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Bellevue University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Bellevue University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2983 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,500 |
| Middle income | $11,779 |
| High income | $11,108 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,235 |
| Continuing-generation students | $10,333 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,500 |
| Independent students | $12,171 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bellevue University.
Subsidized vs. 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.
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.