by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Marywood 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 Marywood specifically, 89% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,242 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,522. 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at Marywood, freshmen included, 83% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,697 in federal loans per year. This works out to 21.3% more than the $5,522 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,394 across two years and $26,788 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 83% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,697 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,514 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $10,138,774 |
The middle borrower at Marywood owes $23,235 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $23,235 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,186 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,250 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Marywood.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $12,750 |
| 75th percentile | $29,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,250 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Marywood.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Marywood.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 509 | $26,710 |
| Completed (graduates) | 356 | $30,588 |
| Did not complete | 153 | $21,082 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $363.72/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Marywood.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 469 | $28,440 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 40 | $12,075 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Marywood.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Marywood is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 892 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $21,813 |
| Middle income | $24,187 |
| High income | $23,250 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $23,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $22,985 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $23,000 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Marywood.
The Difference Between 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.
Important to Remember
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.