by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend High Desert Medical College— 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 High Desert Medical College specifically, 88% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $8,450 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $8,201. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Looking at all undergraduates at High Desert Medical College, freshmen included, 65% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, borrowing on average $8,223 in federal loans per year. This is 0.3% higher than the $8,201 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $16,446 over two years and about $32,892 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 65% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,223 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,829 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $15,038,956 |
The middle borrower at High Desert Medical College owes $9,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,555 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,750 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for High Desert Medical College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,760 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $19,807 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $22,292 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at High Desert Medical College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for High Desert Medical College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 159 | $6,525 |
| Completed (graduates) | 120 | $8,289 |
| Did not complete | 39 | $3,235 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $98.57/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 High Desert Medical College.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 147 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 12 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. High Desert Medical College.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $10,519 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $10,510 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at High Desert Medical College.
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.