by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Oakland Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Oakland Community College, 26% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $3,636 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $3,554, or about 64.6% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at Oakland Community College, 18% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $3,660 each per year. It comes to 3.0% larger than the $3,554 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $7,320 across two years and $14,640 over four years. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 18% |
| Average federal loan per year | $3,660 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,136 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,816,829 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Oakland Community College carry a median federal debt of $4,592 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $4,592 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,105 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,500 |
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 Oakland Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,707 |
| 25th percentile | $2,750 |
| 75th percentile | $9,802 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $18,005 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Oakland Community College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Oakland Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1626 | $12,685 |
| Completed (graduates) | 236 | $10,913 |
| Did not complete | 1390 | $13,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $129.77/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Oakland Community College.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1593 | $12,778 |
| No Stafford loan | 33 | $10,230 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 454 | $11,084 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 1172 | $13,186 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Oakland Community 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 official Department of Education two-year default rate for Oakland Community College appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 3720 |
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 | $4,542 |
| Middle income | $4,580 |
| High income | $4,811 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $4,938 |
| Continuing-generation students | $4,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,500 |
| Independent students | $6,038 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Oakland Community College.
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.
Important to Remember
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.