by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Johnson & Wales University-Providence— 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 JWU Providence specifically, 79% of first-year students take on loan debt, borrowing on average $10,892 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,772. This reaches or tops the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap for a typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at JWU Providence, freshmen included, 72% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,763 annually. That amounts to 17.2% more than the freshman federal average of $5,772.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,526 over two years and about $27,052 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 72% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,763 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,834 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $19,167,022 |
The middle borrower at JWU Providence owes $16,334 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $16,334 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for JWU Providence.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,666 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $28,300 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,750 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at JWU Providence.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at JWU Providence.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3594 | $25,707 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1686 | $34,260 |
| Did not complete | 1908 | $21,477 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $407.39/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at JWU Providence.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3556 | $25,978 |
| No Stafford loan | 38 | $10,075 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 3440 | $26,158 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 154 | $15,441 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at JWU Providence.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for JWU Providence follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 5362 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,250 |
| Middle income | $18,277 |
| High income | $14,250 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,666 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,750 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $16,502 |
| Independent students | $15,482 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for JWU Providence.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Important to Remember
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.