by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Northwest Career 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 Northwest Career College, 74% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $7,498 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
Federal loans alone average $7,424. 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.
For undergraduates overall at Northwest Career College, 75% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $7,985 per year. That amounts to 7.6% above the $7,424 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $15,970 across two years and $31,940 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 75% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,985 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,750 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $21,957,852 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Northwest Career College carry a median federal debt of $8,314 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,314 |
| 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.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Northwest Career College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,782 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $9,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $9,500 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Northwest Career College.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Northwest Career College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 179 | $5,074 |
| Completed (graduates) | 134 | $6,479 |
| Did not complete | 45 | $2,875 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $77.04/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Northwest Career College.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 158 | $5,418 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 21 | $2,913 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Northwest Career 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 federal two-year cohort default rate for Northwest Career College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 35.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 190 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,381 |
| Middle income | $8,240 |
| High income | $5,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,314 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| 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 Northwest Career College.
Subsidized and 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.
Important to Remember
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.