by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Bryn Mawr College— 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.
At Bryn Mawr specifically, 74% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, with a typical loan of $7,102 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,360, amounting to 97.5% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Bryn Mawr, 49% take out federal student loans, averaging $6,015 a year. That amounts to 12.2% above the first-year federal average of $5,360.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,030 after two years and $24,060 by the fourth year. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 49% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,015 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 665 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,999,968 |
The middle borrower at Bryn Mawr owes $21,441 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $21,441 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,250 |
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 Bryn Mawr.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $12,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Bryn Mawr.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Bryn Mawr.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 115 | $37,052 |
| Completed (graduates) | 88 | $40,058 |
| Did not complete | 27 | $31,061 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $476.33/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Bryn Mawr.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 104 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 11 | — |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Bryn Mawr.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Bryn Mawr is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 368 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $15,730 |
| Middle income | $23,250 |
| High income | $21,245 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $22,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $20,500 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Bryn Mawr.
Subsidized vs. 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.
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.