by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for California State University-East Bay, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Among first-year students at Cal State East Bay, 22% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $5,486 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $4,830, equal to roughly 87.8% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
For undergraduates overall at Cal State East Bay, 26% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $7,351 each per year. This is 52.2% greater than the $4,830 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $14,702 after two years and $29,404 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 26% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,351 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,757 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $20,266,344 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Cal State East Bay carry a median federal debt of $12,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $16,544 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,000 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Cal State East Bay.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $22,217 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Cal State East Bay.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Cal State East Bay.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1056 | $15,456 |
| Completed (graduates) | 493 | $15,738 |
| Did not complete | 563 | $15,342 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $187.14/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 Cal State East Bay.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1034 | $15,416 |
| No Stafford loan | 22 | $18,736 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 704 | $14,058 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 352 | $17,802 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Cal State East Bay.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Cal State East Bay follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2442 |
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 | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $13,000 |
| High income | $13,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,900 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,500 |
| Independent students | $13,005 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Cal State East Bay.
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.