by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend East Tennessee State 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.
Among first-year students at ETSU, 38% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, with a typical loan of $7,552 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $6,094. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for 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.
For undergraduates overall at ETSU, 37% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $7,468 each per year. This is 22.5% larger than the $6,094 borrowed by freshmen.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,936 over two years and about $29,872 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 37% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,468 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,580 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $26,735,316 |
The median student at ETSU borrows $14,400 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,400 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,442 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 ETSU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,003 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at ETSU.
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 ETSU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1295 | $15,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 815 | $16,938 |
| Did not complete | 480 | $12,071 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $201.41/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at ETSU.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1261 | $14,958 |
| No Stafford loan | 34 | $15,437 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1170 | $14,946 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 125 | $15,875 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for ETSU.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for ETSU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2977 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,500 |
| Middle income | $14,304 |
| High income | $14,183 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,750 |
| Independent students | $17,250 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at ETSU.
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.
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.