by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Dordt 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 Dordt specifically, 49% of first-year students take on loan debt, with a typical loan of $10,045 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,917, or about 89.4% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at Dordt, freshmen included, 45% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $6,020 in federal loans per year. It comes to 22.4% larger than the freshman federal average of $4,917.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,040 over two years and about $24,080 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 45% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,020 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 693 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,171,749 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Dordt carry a median federal debt of $17,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Dordt.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $8,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Dordt.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Dordt.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 187 | $15,930 |
| Completed (graduates) | 122 | $18,000 |
| Did not complete | 65 | $10,428 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $214.04/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Dordt.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 177 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 10 | — |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Dordt.
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 Dordt is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 344 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,313 |
| Middle income | $18,750 |
| High income | $17,164 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,250 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Dordt.
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.
Worth Knowing
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.