by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Arkansas State University Three Rivers: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At ASU Three Rivers specifically, 83% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $2,032 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $2,032, representing 36.9% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a 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.
For undergraduates overall at ASU Three Rivers, 77% take out federal student loans, averaging $3,414 per year. It comes to 68.0% larger than the first-year federal average of $2,032.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $6,828 by year two and around $13,656 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 | 77% |
| Average federal loan per year | $3,414 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 398 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,358,920 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at ASU Three Rivers carry a median federal debt of $6,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,932 |
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 ASU Three Rivers.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,844 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $11,702 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $19,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at ASU Three Rivers.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for ASU Three Rivers.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 29 | $6,400 |
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at ASU Three Rivers.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 12 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 17 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. ASU Three Rivers.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for ASU Three Rivers appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 13.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 164 |
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 | $6,896 |
| Middle income | $5,890 |
| High income | $7,690 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,750 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,250 |
| Independent students | $7,264 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for ASU Three Rivers.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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
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.