by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Genesee Community College— 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.
Looking at the entering class at GCC, 50% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, for an average of $5,051 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,051, or about 91.8% 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at GCC, 45% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $5,701 annually. This is 12.9% above the freshman federal average of $5,051.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $11,402 in two years and roughly $22,804 by the fourth year. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 45% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,701 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 880 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,016,784 |
The middle borrower at GCC owes $6,549 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,549 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $11,622 |
| 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.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at GCC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $3,101 |
| 75th percentile | $11,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $18,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at GCC.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for GCC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 331 | $11,106 |
| Completed (graduates) | 70 | $10,821 |
| Did not complete | 261 | $11,112 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $128.67/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at GCC.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 152 | $9,150 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 179 | $14,290 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at GCC.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for GCC appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1268 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,700 |
| Middle income | $6,752 |
| High income | $6,241 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,700 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $8,815 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at GCC.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
Did You Know?
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.