by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend California State University-San Bernardino— 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.
Among first-year students at CSUSB, 19% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $5,039 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,597, which is 83.6% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at CSUSB, 25% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $6,667 annually. That amounts to 45.0% greater than the $4,597 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,334 after two years and $26,668 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 25% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,667 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,904 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $26,029,816 |
The middle borrower at CSUSB owes $12,445 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,445 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,715 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,000 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for CSUSB.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $23,776 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,239 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at CSUSB.
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 CSUSB.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 828 | $12,528 |
| Completed (graduates) | 476 | $12,000 |
| Did not complete | 352 | $13,135 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $142.69/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at CSUSB.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 804 | $12,630 |
| No Stafford loan | 24 | $10,490 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 672 | $12,402 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 156 | $13,130 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at CSUSB.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for CSUSB follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 3386 |
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 | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $11,000 |
| High income | $14,253 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,870 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,715 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $13,699 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at CSUSB.
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.
Important to Remember
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.