by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Houston Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Houston Community College specifically, 12% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $5,677 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federally funded loan is $5,677. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Houston Community College, 19% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $6,126 a year. It comes to 7.9% larger than the freshman federal average of $5,677.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,252 in two years and roughly $24,504 after four. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 19% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,126 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 7,262 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $44,488,155 |
The median student at Houston Community College borrows $8,752 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,752 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,921 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,750 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Houston Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,894 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $12,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $22,522 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Houston Community College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Houston Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3379 | $11,736 |
| Completed (graduates) | 402 | $9,166 |
| Did not complete | 2977 | $12,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $108.99/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 Houston Community College.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3293 | $11,663 |
| No Stafford loan | 86 | $14,050 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1187 | $9,303 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 2192 | $13,498 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Houston Community 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 Houston Community College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 12.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 5112 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $7,334 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,006 |
| Continuing-generation students | $7,598 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,501 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Houston Community College.
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.