by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Canisius University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Canisius specifically, 60% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, with a typical loan of $6,994 per student, private and federal loans combined.
Federal loans alone average $4,936, amounting to 89.7% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Looking at all undergraduates at Canisius, freshmen included, 54% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, for a typical $6,170 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 25.0% larger than the $4,936 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,340 across two years and $24,680 after four. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 54% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,170 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 958 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,910,629 |
The median student at Canisius borrows $19,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Canisius.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,415 |
| 25th percentile | $9,550 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Canisius.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Canisius.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 415 | $19,953 |
| Completed (graduates) | 278 | $23,720 |
| Did not complete | 137 | $16,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $282.06/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Canisius.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 373 | $20,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 42 | $17,689 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Canisius.
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 Canisius follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1340 |
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 | $16,775 |
| Middle income | $19,500 |
| High income | $19,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,000 |
| Independent students | $22,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Canisius.
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.
Did You Know?
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.