by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Lawrence University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Lawrence U, 53% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $7,331 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $4,974, representing 90.4% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
Counting every undergraduate at Lawrence U, 49% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,084 in federal loans per year. This is 22.3% more than the first-year federal average of $4,974.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,168 over two years and about $24,336 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 | 49% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,084 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 685 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,167,542 |
The middle borrower at Lawrence U owes $19,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Lawrence U.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $12,000 |
| 75th percentile | $31,133 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Lawrence U.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Lawrence U.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 76 | $33,999 |
| Completed (graduates) | 48 | $59,814 |
| Did not complete | 28 | $19,272 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $711.25/mo.
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Lawrence U.
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 Lawrence U appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 302 |
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 | $22,026 |
| Middle income | $22,036 |
| High income | $19,062 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,399 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Lawrence U.
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?
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.