by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Catawba College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Catawba, 53% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, for an average of $6,626 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,210, representing 94.7% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Counting every undergraduate at Catawba, 53% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, for a typical $6,153 annually. That is 18.1% greater than the $5,210 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,306 after two years and $24,612 over a four-year span. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 53% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,153 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 594 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,655,142 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Catawba carry a median federal debt of $13,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,850 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Catawba.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $7,495 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,480 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Catawba.
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 Catawba.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 203 | $18,031 |
| Completed (graduates) | 98 | $30,535 |
| Did not complete | 105 | $14,307 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $363.09/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Catawba.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 190 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 13 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Catawba.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Catawba appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 374 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,000 |
| Middle income | $11,667 |
| High income | $14,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,428 |
| Independent students | $9,524 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Catawba.
The Difference Between 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.
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.