by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend High Point University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At High Point, 47% of first-year students take on loan debt, borrowing on average $15,328 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $5,196, amounting to 94.5% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a 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.
Across the full undergraduate body at High Point (freshmen included), 41% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $6,483 annually. This works out to 24.8% higher than the $5,196 freshmen take on.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,966 in two years and roughly $25,932 over a four-year span. 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 | $6,483 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,055 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $13,322,729 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at High Point carry a median federal debt of $19,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,575 |
| Students who withdrew | $13,000 |
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 High Point.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,154 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,375 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at High Point.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at High Point.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 508 | $51,391 |
| Completed (graduates) | 131 | $74,506 |
| Did not complete | 377 | $46,137 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $885.96/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at High Point.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 486 | $52,622 |
| No Stafford loan | 22 | $32,608 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 480 | $54,776 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 28 | $28,424 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for High Point.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for High Point is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 793 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,750 |
| Middle income | $19,500 |
| High income | $19,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $10,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at High Point.
Subsidized and 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.
Worth Knowing
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.