by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Drew 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 Drew, 53% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $5,218 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,218, equal to roughly 94.9% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at Drew, 48% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $6,246 each per year. That amounts to 19.7% greater than the $5,218 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,492 by year two and around $24,984 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 | 48% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,246 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 723 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,515,639 |
The median student at Drew borrows $21,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $21,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,288 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,500 |
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 Drew.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $10,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Drew.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Drew.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 193 | $26,053 |
| Completed (graduates) | 125 | $30,994 |
| Did not complete | 68 | $16,914 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $368.55/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Drew.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 170 | $27,521 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 23 | $16,728 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Drew.
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 Drew is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 428 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,500 |
| Middle income | $23,000 |
| High income | $21,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $22,091 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,175 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $21,250 |
| Independent students | $16,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Drew.
Subsidized vs. 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?
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.