by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Bowdoin College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Bowdoin, 6% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $11,912 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $5,238, or about 95.2% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at Bowdoin, freshmen included, 8% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $6,253 a year. This works out to 19.4% higher than the $5,238 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,506 in two years and roughly $25,012 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 8% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,253 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 155 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $969,229 |
The median student at Bowdoin borrows $12,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,541 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Bowdoin.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,500 |
| 25th percentile | $8,454 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Bowdoin.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Bowdoin.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 85 | $37,572 |
| Completed (graduates) | 65 | $52,337 |
| Did not complete | 20 | $23,236 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $622.34/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Bowdoin.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 72 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 13 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 72 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 13 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Bowdoin.
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 Bowdoin follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 147 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,250 |
| Middle income | $12,000 |
| High income | $13,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,778 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Bowdoin.
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.
Did You Know?
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.