by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Franciscan University of Steubenville: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Franciscan U, 70% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,695 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $6,805. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing 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 Franciscan U (freshmen included), 56% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $8,352 each per year. It comes to 22.7% larger than the $6,805 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $16,704 after two years and $33,408 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 56% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,352 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,564 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $13,062,146 |
The median student at Franciscan U borrows $18,590 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,590 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,384 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,584 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Franciscan U.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,466 |
| 25th percentile | $9,000 |
| 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 Franciscan U.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Franciscan U.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 296 | $22,969 |
| Completed (graduates) | 184 | $29,400 |
| Did not complete | 112 | $15,204 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $349.6/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Franciscan U.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 263 | $25,840 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 33 | $12,316 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Franciscan U.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Franciscan U follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 630 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,250 |
| Middle income | $19,000 |
| High income | $18,750 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,065 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,000 |
| Independent students | $10,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Franciscan U.
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?
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.