by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Northwestern College: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
The median student at NC borrows $9,569 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,569 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
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 NC.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,167 |
| 25th percentile | $6,290 |
| 75th percentile | $24,244 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,869 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at NC.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for NC.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 120 | $10,583 |
| Completed (graduates) | 25 | $11,768 |
| Did not complete | 95 | $10,500 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $139.93/mo.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at NC.
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 NC appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1518 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
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 | $9,819 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $11,154 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $10,130 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,919 |
| Independent students | $9,501 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at NC.
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.
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.