by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Illinois College of Optometry— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Illinois College of Optometry.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,405 |
| 25th percentile | $3,930 |
| 75th percentile | $11,630 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $14,760 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Illinois College of Optometry.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Illinois College of Optometry.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 30 | $17,293 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Illinois College of Optometry.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Illinois College of Optometry follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 136 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.