by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Dickinson State University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at DSU, 48% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $6,464 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,782, or about 86.9% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at DSU, 43% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,081 a year. That amounts to 27.2% larger than the first-year federal average of $4,782.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,162 by year two and around $24,324 over a four-year span. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 43% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,081 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 473 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,876,372 |
The middle borrower at DSU owes $11,960 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,960 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,442 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,550 |
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 DSU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,250 |
| 75th percentile | $19,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,800 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at DSU.
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 DSU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 65 | $9,640 |
| Completed (graduates) | 42 | $10,030 |
| Did not complete | 23 | $7,758 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $119.27/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at DSU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 47 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 18 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for DSU.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for DSU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 637 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
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 | $10,500 |
| Middle income | $11,919 |
| High income | $12,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,684 |
| Independent students | $14,250 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at DSU.
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.
Did You Know?
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.