by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Central Arizona College— 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.
For incoming students at Pinal County Community College, 4% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $5,380 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $4,305, or about 78.3% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at Pinal County Community College, 3% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $10,112 each per year. This is 134.9% greater than the freshman federal average of $4,305.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $20,224 by year two and around $40,448 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 3% |
| Average federal loan per year | $10,112 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 150 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,516,760 |
The middle borrower at Pinal County Community College owes $6,157 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,157 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,010 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Pinal County Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,650 |
| 25th percentile | $3,013 |
| 75th percentile | $11,244 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $19,590 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Pinal County Community College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Pinal County Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 131 | $8,709 |
| Completed (graduates) | 27 | $9,600 |
| Did not complete | 104 | $8,554 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $114.15/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Pinal County Community College.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 121 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 10 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 24 | $6,813 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 107 | $9,519 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Pinal County Community College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Pinal County Community College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 16.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 776 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,804 |
| Middle income | $6,469 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,385 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $8,564 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Pinal County Community College.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.