by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Georgia State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Georgia State specifically, 38% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $5,712 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,830, equal to roughly 87.8% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
For undergraduates overall at Georgia State, 41% rely on federal student loans toward their education, averaging $6,088 a year. It comes to 26.0% higher than the freshman federal average of $4,830.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,176 by year two and around $24,352 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 | 41% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,088 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 11,172 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $68,019,045 |
The middle borrower at Georgia State owes $11,750 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,903 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,354 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Georgia State.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,989 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Georgia State.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Georgia State.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 5328 | $13,962 |
| Completed (graduates) | 2306 | $14,837 |
| Did not complete | 3022 | $13,199 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $176.43/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Georgia State.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 5248 | $13,962 |
| No Stafford loan | 80 | $13,569 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 4521 | $13,797 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 807 | $15,000 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Georgia State.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Georgia State is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 6521 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,180 |
| Middle income | $11,500 |
| High income | $11,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,705 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $14,750 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Georgia State.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.
Worth Knowing
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.