by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend The Catholic University of America— 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.
At CUA, 57% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $9,274 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $5,222, or about 94.9% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at CUA (freshmen included), 49% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, for a typical $6,357 per year. That is 21.7% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,222.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,714 over two years and about $25,428 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 49% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,357 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,500 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $9,535,829 |
The middle borrower at CUA owes $22,250 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $22,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,750 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for CUA.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $12,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at CUA.
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 CUA.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 540 | $42,249 |
| Completed (graduates) | 398 | $50,215 |
| Did not complete | 142 | $29,690 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $597.11/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at CUA.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 529 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 11 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 467 | $46,502 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 73 | $25,475 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at CUA.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for CUA appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1333 |
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 | $20,219 |
| Middle income | $24,187 |
| High income | $22,310 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $23,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $22,250 |
| Independent students | $23,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at CUA.
Subsidized vs. 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.