by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Chamberlain University-California— 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 Chamberlain - California, 100% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $20,500 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $7,500. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at Chamberlain - California, 78% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $9,586 a year. That is 27.8% higher than the freshman federal average of $7,500.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $19,172 over two years and about $38,344 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 | 78% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,586 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 530 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,080,796 |
The median student at Chamberlain - California borrows $16,458 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $16,458 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,919 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,922 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Chamberlain - California.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,288 |
| 25th percentile | $10,169 |
| 75th percentile | $27,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $40,125 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Chamberlain - California.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Chamberlain - California.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 5298 | $12,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 2719 | $12,704 |
| Did not complete | 2579 | $11,443 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $151.06/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Chamberlain - California.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 5272 | $12,000 |
| No Stafford loan | 26 | $7,000 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 4152 | $12,069 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 1146 | $11,841 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Chamberlain - California.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Chamberlain - California follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 3327 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,577 |
| Middle income | $15,795 |
| High income | $17,250 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,405 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,594 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $16,125 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Chamberlain - California.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Important to Remember
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.