by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Miami University-Hamilton— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Miami University - Hamilton, 36% of first-year students take on loan debt, at roughly $6,739 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,050, representing 91.8% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Miami University - Hamilton, 36% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $6,157 each per year. This works out to 21.9% more than the freshman federal average of $5,050.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,314 after two years and $24,628 over a four-year span. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 36% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,157 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 760 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,679,504 |
The middle borrower at Miami University - Hamilton owes $16,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $16,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Miami University - Hamilton.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,000 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Miami University - Hamilton.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Miami University - Hamilton.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1744 | $27,581 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1182 | $34,512 |
| Did not complete | 562 | $20,509 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $410.38/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Miami University - Hamilton.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1704 | $27,890 |
| No Stafford loan | 40 | $26,494 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1496 | $29,103 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 248 | $22,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Miami University - Hamilton.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Miami University - Hamilton is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4108 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,509 |
| Middle income | $15,597 |
| High income | $17,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $16,032 |
| Independent students | $14,834 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Miami University - Hamilton.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.