by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Concordia University-Chicago— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Concordia University, Chicago, 67% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $5,947 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $5,031, representing 91.5% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. 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 Concordia University, Chicago (freshmen included), 59% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $6,581 each per year. That amounts to 30.8% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,031.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $13,162 over two years and about $26,324 by the fourth year. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 59% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,581 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 784 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,159,656 |
The middle borrower at Concordia University, Chicago owes $14,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,000 |
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 Concordia University, Chicago.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,750 |
| 25th percentile | $7,250 |
| 75th percentile | $25,961 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,268 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Concordia University, Chicago.
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 Concordia University, Chicago.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 985 | $17,409 |
| Completed (graduates) | 542 | $18,968 |
| Did not complete | 443 | $15,103 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $225.55/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Concordia University, Chicago.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 733 | $17,472 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 252 | $17,236 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Concordia University, Chicago.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Concordia University, Chicago is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1420 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $14,250 |
| High income | $15,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,232 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,000 |
| Independent students | $18,622 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Concordia University, Chicago.
Subsidized and 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.
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.