by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for North Iowa Area Community College— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At North Iowa Area Community College, 33% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $5,033 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $4,586, equal to roughly 83.4% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at North Iowa Area Community College, freshmen included, 34% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $5,513 per year. That is 20.2% above the $4,586 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,026 over two years and about $22,052 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 34% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,513 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 432 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,381,816 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at North Iowa Area Community College carry a median federal debt of $6,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
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 North Iowa Area Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $10,096 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $15,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at North Iowa Area Community College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at North Iowa Area Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 145 | $8,564 |
| Completed (graduates) | 50 | $9,248 |
| Did not complete | 95 | $8,500 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $109.97/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 North Iowa Area Community College.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 101 | $8,023 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 44 | $9,566 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. North Iowa Area Community College.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for North Iowa Area Community College appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 17.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 966 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,250 |
| Middle income | $5,500 |
| High income | $6,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $5,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $6,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $7,771 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at North Iowa Area Community College.
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.
Did You Know?
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.