by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at IUP, 70% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $8,139 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,228, or about 95.1% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. 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 IUP, 64% rely on federal student loans toward their education, averaging $6,104 each per year. That is 16.8% larger than the freshman federal average of $5,228.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,208 after two years and $24,416 over a four-year span. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 64% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,104 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 4,380 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $26,737,659 |
The median student at IUP borrows $19,995 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,995 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,798 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,415 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 IUP.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $8,500 |
| 75th percentile | $28,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at IUP.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for IUP.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 2077 | $20,643 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1196 | $26,073 |
| Did not complete | 881 | $16,930 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $310.04/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at IUP.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 2056 | $20,824 |
| No Stafford loan | 21 | $11,848 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1934 | $21,004 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 143 | $18,700 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. IUP.
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 IUP follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 3822 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,750 |
| Middle income | $19,900 |
| High income | $21,218 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,732 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $20,000 |
| Independent students | $18,750 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at IUP.
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.