by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend John Carroll University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at John Carroll, 62% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $7,808 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,287, amounting to 96.1% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at John Carroll, 55% take out federal student loans, at an average of $6,410 each per year. That is 21.2% larger than the first-year federal average of $5,287.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,820 in two years and roughly $25,640 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 55% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,410 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,250 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,012,293 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at John Carroll carry a median federal debt of $21,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $21,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
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 John Carroll.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $11,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at John Carroll.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for John Carroll.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 413 | $31,502 |
| Completed (graduates) | 293 | $39,285 |
| Did not complete | 120 | $19,784 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $467.14/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at John Carroll.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 394 | $31,113 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 19 | $33,385 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. John Carroll.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for John Carroll is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 837 |
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 | $23,000 |
| Middle income | $20,500 |
| High income | $22,043 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $22,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $21,500 |
| Independent students | $24,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at John Carroll.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.