by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Bowie State University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Bowie State University, 50% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $10,005 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $10,005. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at Bowie State University, 45% take out federal student loans, for a typical $11,198 per year. This works out to 11.9% more than the first-year federal average of $10,005.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $22,396 over two years and about $44,792 by the fourth year. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 45% |
| Average federal loan per year | $11,198 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,329 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $26,080,761 |
The median student at Bowie State University borrows $12,861 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,861 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,985 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,250 |
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 Bowie State University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,791 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Bowie State University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Bowie State University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1377 | $18,131 |
| Completed (graduates) | 172 | $23,158 |
| Did not complete | 1205 | $17,700 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $275.37/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Bowie State University.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1323 | $18,574 |
| No Stafford loan | 54 | $15,393 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1198 | $18,574 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 179 | $17,172 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Bowie State University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Bowie State University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 12.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1375 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $13,750 |
| High income | $12,917 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,250 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,250 |
| Independent students | $15,750 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Bowie State University.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.