by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Lindenwood University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Lindenwood University specifically, 53% of first-year students take on loan debt, borrowing on average $7,717 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,733. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Counting every undergraduate at Lindenwood University, 51% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $7,629 each per year. It comes to 33.1% above the $5,733 borrowed by freshmen.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $15,258 in two years and roughly $30,516 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 51% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,629 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,413 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $18,408,224 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Lindenwood University carry a median federal debt of $20,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $20,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $12,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Lindenwood University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,500 |
| 25th percentile | $9,091 |
| 75th percentile | $29,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,120 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Lindenwood University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Lindenwood University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1288 | $16,300 |
| Completed (graduates) | 631 | $18,445 |
| Did not complete | 657 | $14,313 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $219.33/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Lindenwood University.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1143 | $16,260 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 145 | $17,500 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Lindenwood University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Lindenwood University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 3139 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $21,875 |
| Middle income | $20,825 |
| High income | $20,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,899 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $23,130 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Lindenwood University.
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?
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.