by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Lower Columbia College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At LCC, 14% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, with a typical loan of $6,387 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $6,136. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for 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 LCC, 18% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $6,877 annually. This is 12.1% more than the freshman federal average of $6,136.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,754 across two years and $27,508 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 18% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,877 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 313 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,152,496 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at LCC carry a median federal debt of $6,487 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,487 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $10,506 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,625 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 LCC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,684 |
| 25th percentile | $3,167 |
| 75th percentile | $15,282 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $23,993 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at LCC.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at LCC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 173 | $10,472 |
| Completed (graduates) | 33 | $8,000 |
| Did not complete | 140 | $10,818 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $95.13/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at LCC.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 54 | $7,866 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 119 | $11,900 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for LCC.
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 LCC appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 19.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 862 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $7,917 |
| Middle income | $6,332 |
| High income | $5,347 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,086 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,238 |
| Independent students | $8,103 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at LCC.
Subsidized vs. 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?
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.