by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Life University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Life, 56% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $6,562 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $5,872. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Life, 53% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $9,093 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 54.9% above the $5,872 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $18,186 by year two and around $36,372 by the fourth year. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 53% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,093 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 457 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,155,661 |
The middle borrower at Life owes $9,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $16,666 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,333 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Life.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,333 |
| 25th percentile | $4,043 |
| 75th percentile | $19,862 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,334 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Life.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Life.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 364 | $19,572 |
| Completed (graduates) | 201 | $20,335 |
| Did not complete | 163 | $18,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $241.8/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Life.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 334 | $19,461 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 30 | $22,728 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Life.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Life follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 591 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $9,167 |
| High income | $7,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,167 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $8,333 |
| Independent students | $9,721 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Life.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.