by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend National Louis University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At NLU specifically, 11% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $7,221 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,251, representing 95.5% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at NLU (freshmen included), 22% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $9,792 each per year. That amounts to 86.5% more than the first-year federal average of $5,251.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $19,584 after two years and $39,168 by the fourth year. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 22% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,792 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 921 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $9,018,402 |
The median student at NLU borrows $12,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,954 |
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 NLU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,125 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $23,084 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,208 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at NLU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for NLU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1181 | $15,500 |
| Completed (graduates) | 473 | $17,284 |
| Did not complete | 708 | $14,443 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $205.53/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 NLU.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 766 | $15,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 415 | $16,982 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for NLU.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for NLU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2727 |
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 | $13,248 |
| Middle income | $10,508 |
| High income | $11,835 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,500 |
| Independent students | $15,042 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at NLU.
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
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.