by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Northwestern Oklahoma State University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At NWOSU, 43% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $5,060 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,060, equal to roughly 92.0% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Counting every undergraduate at NWOSU, 44% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,366 per year. It comes to 25.8% greater than the $5,060 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,732 after two years and $25,464 after four. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 44% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,366 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 642 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,086,953 |
The median student at NWOSU borrows $11,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,355 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,004 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for NWOSU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $3,750 |
| 75th percentile | $15,200 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $23,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at NWOSU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for NWOSU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 169 | $8,895 |
| Completed (graduates) | 72 | $9,924 |
| Did not complete | 97 | $8,215 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $118.01/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at NWOSU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 150 | $8,562 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 19 | $12,081 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for NWOSU.
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 NWOSU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 13.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 430 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,722 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $11,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $10,824 |
| Continuing-generation students | $11,285 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,748 |
| Independent students | $12,922 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at NWOSU.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.