by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Grossmont College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Grossmont College specifically, 1% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $3,975 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $3,975, or about 72.3% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. 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 Grossmont College, 2% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $6,258 annually. That is 57.4% above the $3,975 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,516 after two years and $25,032 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 2% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,258 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 176 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,101,376 |
The median student at Grossmont College borrows $4,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $4,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $8,625 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,500 |
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 Grossmont College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $2,000 |
| 75th percentile | $5,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $8,887 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Grossmont College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Grossmont College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 728 | $12,467 |
| Completed (graduates) | 24 | $13,398 |
| Did not complete | 704 | $12,398 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $159.32/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 Grossmont College.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 692 | $12,584 |
| No Stafford loan | 36 | $9,945 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 17 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 711 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Grossmont College.
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 Grossmont College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 427 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $4,500 |
| Middle income | $4,334 |
| High income | $3,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $4,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $4,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $3,500 |
| Independent students | $5,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Grossmont College.
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.