by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for North-West College-Long Beach, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
For incoming students at NWC Long Beach, 67% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $5,240 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $4,919, amounting to 89.4% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at NWC Long Beach (freshmen included), 80% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $6,161 per year. That amounts to 25.2% higher than the first-year federal average of $4,919.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,322 across two years and $24,644 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 80% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,161 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 739 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,553,086 |
The median student at NWC Long Beach borrows $9,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,750 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at NWC Long Beach.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,257 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $14,345 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $18,845 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at NWC Long Beach.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at NWC Long Beach.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 488 | $5,956 |
| Completed (graduates) | 356 | $6,672 |
| Did not complete | 132 | $4,647 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $79.34/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at NWC Long Beach.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 462 | $6,389 |
| No Stafford loan | 26 | $2,280 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 446 | $6,330 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 42 | $3,480 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for NWC Long Beach.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for NWC Long Beach follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 381 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at NWC Long Beach.
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.