by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Mid-America Christian University— 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 MACU, 45% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $6,870 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $6,734. 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.
Counting every undergraduate at MACU, 62% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $8,454 each per year. This is 25.5% more than the $6,734 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $16,908 by year two and around $33,816 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 62% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,454 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 932 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,878,925 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at MACU carry a median federal debt of $15,444 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,444 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,394 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,327 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for MACU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,375 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $26,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,114 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at MACU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for MACU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 191 | $9,724 |
| Completed (graduates) | 87 | $14,000 |
| Did not complete | 104 | $8,650 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $166.47/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 MACU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 161 | $9,803 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 30 | $8,905 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at MACU.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for MACU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 556 |
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 | $14,990 |
| Middle income | $16,120 |
| High income | $13,370 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,750 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,500 |
| Independent students | $18,655 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at MACU.
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.
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.