by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend California State University-Dominguez Hills— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at CSUDH, 11% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $4,679 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,514, or about 82.1% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at CSUDH, 20% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $7,188 per year. This works out to 59.2% more than the first-year federal average of $4,514.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $14,376 over two years and about $28,752 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 20% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,188 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,500 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $17,970,312 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at CSUDH carry a median federal debt of $11,902 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,902 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,807 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,458 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for CSUDH.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $22,750 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,302 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at CSUDH.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at CSUDH.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 638 | $10,932 |
| Completed (graduates) | 395 | $11,061 |
| Did not complete | 243 | $10,831 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $131.53/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 CSUDH.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 621 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 17 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 440 | $10,810 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 198 | $11,388 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for CSUDH.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for CSUDH is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2591 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,000 |
| Middle income | $11,000 |
| High income | $12,524 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $8,872 |
| Independent students | $13,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for CSUDH.
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.
Important to Remember
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.