by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Dillard University— 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.
For incoming students at Dillard University, 87% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $6,785 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $6,071. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Dillard University, 83% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $11,937 in federal loans per year. This works out to 96.6% more than the $6,071 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $23,874 over two years and about $47,748 across a four-year program. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 83% |
| Average federal loan per year | $11,937 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 886 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $10,576,587 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Dillard University carry a median federal debt of $23,048 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $23,048 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $31,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $14,250 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Dillard University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $10,500 |
| 75th percentile | $38,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $53,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Dillard University.
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 Dillard University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 362 | $20,097 |
| Completed (graduates) | 125 | $23,000 |
| Did not complete | 237 | $18,352 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $273.49/mo.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Dillard University.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Dillard University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 402 |
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 | $22,443 |
| Middle income | $24,000 |
| High income | $21,728 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $23,173 |
| Continuing-generation students | $21,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $23,380 |
| Independent students | $19,546 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Dillard University.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
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.