by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Missouri Western State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Missouri Western, 52% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $6,057 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,048, representing 91.8% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical 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 Missouri Western, 43% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, for a typical $6,274 per year. That is 24.3% higher than the $5,048 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,548 after two years and $25,096 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 43% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,274 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,007 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,317,865 |
The median student at Missouri Western borrows $11,920 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,920 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,968 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,336 |
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 Missouri Western.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $23,666 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,500 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Missouri Western.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Missouri Western.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 409 | $9,923 |
| Completed (graduates) | 165 | $11,334 |
| Did not complete | 244 | $8,999 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $134.77/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Missouri Western.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 399 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 10 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 354 | $9,896 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 55 | $10,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Missouri Western.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Missouri Western follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 12.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1613 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,000 |
| Middle income | $11,000 |
| High income | $12,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,545 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,306 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,195 |
| Independent students | $15,550 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Missouri Western.
The Difference Between 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
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.