by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Kansas State University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At K -State, 43% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,056 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,096, which is 92.7% 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at K -State, freshmen included, 37% take out federal student loans, averaging $6,246 each per year. That is 22.6% more than the first-year federal average of $5,096.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,492 across two years and $24,984 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 | 37% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,246 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 5,485 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $34,258,908 |
The middle borrower at K -State owes $17,294 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,294 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for K -State.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,784 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at K -State.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at K -State.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 2933 | $21,930 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1645 | $27,283 |
| Did not complete | 1288 | $17,545 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $324.42/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at K -State.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 2847 | $22,400 |
| No Stafford loan | 86 | $14,259 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 2616 | $23,237 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 317 | $13,254 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at K -State.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for K -State appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4382 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,500 |
| Middle income | $17,086 |
| High income | $17,300 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,791 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,355 |
| Independent students | $17,086 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for K -State.
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.
Important to Remember
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.