by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Monterey Peninsula College— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Among first-year students at Monterey Peninsula College, 1% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $6,248 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $6,248. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Counting every undergraduate at Monterey Peninsula College, 1% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $7,117 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 13.9% above the $6,248 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $14,234 across two years and $28,468 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 1% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,117 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 80 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $569,347 |
The middle borrower at Monterey Peninsula College owes $8,250 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,853 |
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 Monterey Peninsula College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,000 |
| 25th percentile | $3,416 |
| 75th percentile | $10,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $20,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Monterey Peninsula College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Monterey Peninsula College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 561 | $15,835 |
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Monterey Peninsula College.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 535 | $15,835 |
| No Stafford loan | 26 | $16,008 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 26 | $13,375 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 535 | $16,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Monterey Peninsula College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Monterey Peninsula College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 15.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 194 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $8,500 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Monterey Peninsula College.
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.