by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Lamar 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.
For incoming students at Lamar University, 44% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $5,943 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,341, which is 97.1% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Lamar University, 42% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $7,318 each per year. This is 37.0% greater than the freshman federal average of $5,341.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,636 by year two and around $29,272 across a four-year program. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 42% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,318 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,343 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $24,465,127 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Lamar University carry a median federal debt of $12,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,750 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Lamar University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $39,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Lamar University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Lamar University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1856 | $10,713 |
| Completed (graduates) | 858 | $11,359 |
| Did not complete | 998 | $10,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $135.07/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Lamar University.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1831 | $10,710 |
| No Stafford loan | 25 | $11,000 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1383 | $10,841 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 473 | $10,207 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Lamar University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Lamar University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2557 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,589 |
| Middle income | $12,612 |
| High income | $12,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,746 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,267 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Lamar University.
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
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.