by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for John Brown University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At JBU specifically, 42% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $5,293 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,841, which is 88.0% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Counting every undergraduate at JBU, 44% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $6,017 each per year. This is 24.3% greater than the freshman federal average of $4,841.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,034 over two years and about $24,068 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 44% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,017 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 625 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,760,408 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at JBU carry a median federal debt of $17,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for JBU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,667 |
| 25th percentile | $8,250 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,750 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at JBU.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at JBU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 236 | $16,601 |
| Completed (graduates) | 150 | $18,650 |
| Did not complete | 86 | $14,145 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $221.77/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at JBU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 207 | $17,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 29 | $11,100 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for JBU.
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 JBU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 598 |
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 | $15,735 |
| Middle income | $17,489 |
| High income | $16,750 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,334 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $16,750 |
| Independent students | $17,951 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at JBU.
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.
Worth Knowing
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.