by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Bryant University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Bryant, 58% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $16,068 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,287, equal to roughly 96.1% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Bryant, 52% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $6,240 a year. This is 18.0% higher than the $5,287 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,480 after two years and $24,960 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 52% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,240 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,669 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $10,414,526 |
The middle borrower at Bryant owes $23,250 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $23,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,849 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Bryant.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $15,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Bryant.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Bryant.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 315 | $41,502 |
| Completed (graduates) | 235 | $55,956 |
| Did not complete | 80 | $30,061 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $665.38/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Bryant.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 282 | $44,233 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 33 | $19,173 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Bryant.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Bryant is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 756 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $27,000 |
| Middle income | $23,250 |
| High income | $23,075 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $25,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $23,250 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bryant.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.
Worth Knowing
Unlike most other debt, federal student loans generally survive bankruptcy — and unpaid balances can lead to wage garnishment — so borrow only what you truly need.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.