by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Nevada State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at NSC, 15% of first-year students take on loan debt, borrowing on average $4,895 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,895, representing 89.0% 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.
Counting every undergraduate at NSC, 24% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $7,410 in federal loans per year. This works out to 51.4% larger than the $4,895 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $14,820 by year two and around $29,640 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 24% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,410 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 907 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,720,432 |
The median student at NSC borrows $12,547 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,547 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,691 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for NSC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $26,142 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $39,423 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at NSC.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for NSC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 260 | $11,333 |
| Completed (graduates) | 72 | $12,146 |
| Did not complete | 188 | $11,141 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $144.43/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 NSC.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 118 | $10,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 142 | $13,648 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for NSC.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for NSC is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 333 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,250 |
| Middle income | $13,000 |
| High income | $11,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,750 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,863 |
| Independent students | $16,750 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at NSC.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Worth Knowing
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.