by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Carroll 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.
Looking at the entering class at Carroll Montana, 54% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, at roughly $8,939 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $7,121. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the 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 Carroll Montana, 45% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, with a mean of $6,318 a year. This is 11.3% below the freshman federal average of $7,121.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,636 in two years and roughly $25,272 after four. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 45% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,318 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 476 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,007,429 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Carroll Montana carry a median federal debt of $21,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $21,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,757 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
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 Carroll Montana.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $10,000 |
| 75th percentile | $29,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,750 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Carroll Montana.
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 Carroll Montana.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 208 | $29,194 |
| Completed (graduates) | 116 | $37,513 |
| Did not complete | 92 | $22,826 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $446.07/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 Carroll Montana.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 166 | $30,414 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 42 | $25,269 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Carroll Montana.
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 Carroll Montana appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 339 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,500 |
| Middle income | $21,000 |
| High income | $21,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $23,248 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $21,000 |
| Independent students | $18,750 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Carroll Montana.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.