by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend ECPI 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 ECPI University specifically, 77% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $10,747 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $9,853. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at ECPI University (freshmen included), 57% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $10,427 a year. That is 5.8% more than the $9,853 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $20,854 over two years and about $41,708 over a four-year span. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 57% |
| Average federal loan per year | $10,427 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 6,441 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $67,157,135 |
The median student at ECPI University borrows $13,915 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,915 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,226 |
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 ECPI University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,041 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $21,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,465 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at ECPI University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at ECPI University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 2481 | $9,757 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1118 | $11,668 |
| Did not complete | 1363 | $8,389 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $138.74/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at ECPI University.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 2451 | $9,790 |
| No Stafford loan | 30 | $3,977 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 2143 | $9,827 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 338 | $9,000 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for ECPI University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for ECPI University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 7703 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $13,798 |
| Middle income | $13,789 |
| High income | $14,166 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,668 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,750 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,000 |
| Independent students | $14,750 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at ECPI University.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Important to Remember
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.