by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Dakota Wesleyan University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Dakota Wesleyan University specifically, 91% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $8,049 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,581, amounting to 83.3% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Dakota Wesleyan University, 84% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $6,263 annually. That amounts to 36.7% higher than the $4,581 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,526 across two years and $25,052 after four. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 84% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,263 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 558 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,494,849 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Dakota Wesleyan University carry a median federal debt of $19,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Dakota Wesleyan University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,730 |
| 25th percentile | $8,250 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Dakota Wesleyan University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Dakota Wesleyan University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 109 | $15,720 |
| Completed (graduates) | 54 | $18,191 |
| Did not complete | 55 | $15,364 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $216.31/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Dakota Wesleyan University.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 92 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 17 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Dakota Wesleyan University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Dakota Wesleyan University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 306 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $12,125 |
| Middle income | $21,750 |
| High income | $19,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,052 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,875 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $18,924 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Dakota Wesleyan University.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.