by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Morehead State 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 Morehead State University, 59% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $5,232 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $4,462, equal to roughly 81.1% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Morehead State University, 58% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $5,551 each per year. This is 24.4% more than the first-year federal average of $4,462.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,102 across two years and $22,204 over four years. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 58% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,551 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,699 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $14,983,015 |
The median student at Morehead State University borrows $14,705 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,705 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Morehead State University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $6,250 |
| 75th percentile | $26,423 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,396 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Morehead State University.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Morehead State University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 757 | $8,500 |
| Completed (graduates) | 392 | $10,050 |
| Did not complete | 365 | $7,800 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $119.51/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Morehead State University.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 698 | $8,407 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 59 | $9,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Morehead State University.
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 Morehead State University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2157 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,250 |
| Middle income | $15,250 |
| High income | $14,957 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,755 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,000 |
| Independent students | $17,476 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Morehead State University.
Subsidized vs. 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
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.