by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Kent State University at Salem, 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 Kent State University at Salem, 52% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $5,207 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,207, amounting to 94.7% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
For undergraduates overall at Kent State University at Salem, 56% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $6,911 a year. That is 32.7% above the $5,207 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $13,822 across two years and $27,644 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 56% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,911 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 358 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,474,159 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Kent State University at Salem carry a median federal debt of $17,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,000 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Kent State University at Salem.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,325 |
| 25th percentile | $6,251 |
| 75th percentile | $29,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $42,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Kent State University at Salem.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Kent State University at Salem.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 4524 | $19,131 |
| Completed (graduates) | 3009 | $21,394 |
| Did not complete | 1515 | $15,400 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $254.4/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Kent State University at Salem.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 4476 | $19,155 |
| No Stafford loan | 48 | $14,843 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 4060 | $19,280 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 464 | $17,840 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Kent State University at Salem.
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 Kent State University at Salem is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 9889 |
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 | $16,500 |
| Middle income | $17,838 |
| High income | $17,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,850 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,328 |
| Independent students | $18,751 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Kent State University at Salem.
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.