by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend New Mexico Highlands University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At New Mexico Highlands University, 23% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $4,779 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,120, amounting to 74.9% 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.
Counting every undergraduate at New Mexico Highlands University, 19% rely on federal student loans toward their education, averaging $5,429 annually. It comes to 31.8% greater than the freshman federal average of $4,120.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $10,858 by year two and around $21,716 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 19% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,429 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 301 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,634,021 |
The middle borrower at New Mexico Highlands University owes $9,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $11,399 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for New Mexico Highlands University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,669 |
| 25th percentile | $4,500 |
| 75th percentile | $18,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at New Mexico Highlands University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at New Mexico Highlands University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 113 | $9,350 |
| Completed (graduates) | 51 | $9,350 |
| Did not complete | 62 | $9,225 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $111.18/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at New Mexico Highlands University.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 76 | $8,486 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 37 | $13,395 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. New Mexico Highlands University.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for New Mexico Highlands University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 709 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,557 |
| Middle income | $8,875 |
| High income | $9,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,501 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,500 |
| Independent students | $10,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at New Mexico Highlands 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.
Did You Know?
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.