by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend North-West College - Van Nuys, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At NWC Van Nuys, 62% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, for an average of $9,282 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $8,725. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at NWC Van Nuys, 65% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, averaging $6,256 a year. That is 28.3% less than the $8,725 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,512 after two years and $25,024 by the fourth year. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 65% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,256 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 281 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,757,927 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at NWC Van Nuys carry a median federal debt of $8,419 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,419 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $3,701 |
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 NWC Van Nuys.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,321 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $11,285 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $18,845 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at NWC Van Nuys.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for NWC Van Nuys.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 58 | $4,699 |
| Completed (graduates) | 37 | $5,064 |
| Did not complete | 21 | $3,300 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $60.22/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at NWC Van Nuys.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 48 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 10 | — |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at NWC Van Nuys.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for NWC Van Nuys appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 12.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 124 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,555 |
| Middle income | $7,969 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,472 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,456 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at NWC Van Nuys.
The Difference Between 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.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.