by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Marian 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.
At Marian specifically, 72% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $6,682 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $5,420, representing 98.5% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. 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 Marian, 70% borrow through federal student loan programs, with a mean of $7,028 a year. This is 29.7% greater than the $5,420 typical freshmen borrow.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,056 across two years and $28,112 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 70% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,028 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,647 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $11,575,399 |
The median student at Marian borrows $20,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $20,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $27,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,334 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Marian.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $8,000 |
| 75th percentile | $29,625 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Marian.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Marian.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 740 | $21,438 |
| Completed (graduates) | 365 | $24,800 |
| Did not complete | 375 | $20,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $294.9/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Marian.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 480 | $20,653 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 260 | $22,044 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Marian.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Marian is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 683 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,750 |
| Middle income | $20,500 |
| High income | $20,330 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $23,643 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $20,080 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Marian.
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?
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.