by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Montana State University-Northern— 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.
At Montana State University - Northern specifically, 43% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $6,425 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $4,953, which is 90.1% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Montana State University - Northern, 36% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $5,805 in federal loans per year. This is 17.2% above the first-year federal average of $4,953.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $11,610 after two years and $23,220 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 36% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,805 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 285 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,654,427 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Montana State University - Northern carry a median federal debt of $10,560 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $10,560 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,785 |
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 Montana State University - Northern.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,219 |
| 25th percentile | $4,370 |
| 75th percentile | $18,625 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $28,462 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Montana State University - Northern.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Montana State University - Northern.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 69 | $9,875 |
| Completed (graduates) | 26 | $10,150 |
| Did not complete | 43 | $9,861 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $120.69/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Montana State University - Northern.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 54 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 15 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Montana State University - Northern.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Montana State University - Northern appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 431 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
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 | $10,250 |
| Middle income | $8,970 |
| High income | $12,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $10,676 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,514 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,863 |
| Independent students | $15,146 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Montana State University - Northern.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.