by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Kenyon College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Kenyon specifically, 29% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $9,659 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,058, or about 92.0% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Across the full undergraduate body at Kenyon (freshmen included), 26% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $5,988 per year. This is 18.4% larger than the $5,058 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $11,976 across two years and $23,952 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 26% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,988 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 463 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,772,376 |
The middle borrower at Kenyon owes $15,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,527 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,492 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Kenyon.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $21,737 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $26,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Kenyon.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Kenyon.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 84 | $51,320 |
| Completed (graduates) | 53 | $56,500 |
| Did not complete | 31 | $40,197 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $671.85/mo.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Kenyon.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Kenyon is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 191 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,394 |
| Middle income | $16,250 |
| High income | $14,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,008 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Kenyon.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Unsubsidized federal student loans accrue interest every month — even while you are still enrolled. Unless you pay that interest as it builds, the balance you owe at graduation can be noticeably higher than the amount you originally borrowed.
Important to Remember
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.