by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Lakeland Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at Lakeland, 24% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $5,160 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
Federal loans alone average $4,875, equal to roughly 88.6% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Lakeland, 23% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $5,724 each per year. This works out to 17.4% larger than the $4,875 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,448 over two years and about $22,896 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 | 23% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,724 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 709 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,058,208 |
The median student at Lakeland borrows $7,780 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $7,780 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,751 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Lakeland.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,840 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $14,818 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $26,986 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Lakeland.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Lakeland.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 641 | $13,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 120 | $11,860 |
| Did not complete | 521 | $13,159 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $141.03/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Lakeland.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 252 | $10,046 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 389 | $15,000 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Lakeland.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Lakeland follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 16.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1989 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,403 |
| Middle income | $6,509 |
| High income | $7,250 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $7,715 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,155 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $10,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Lakeland.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.
Did You Know?
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.