by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Oglethorpe University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Oglethorpe, 75% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, averaging $7,656 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,842. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at Oglethorpe, 72% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,795 annually. That is 16.3% more than the $5,842 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $13,590 over two years and about $27,180 over a four-year span. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 72% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,795 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,025 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,964,568 |
The middle borrower at Oglethorpe owes $14,750 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| 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.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Oglethorpe.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,560 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Oglethorpe.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Oglethorpe.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 184 | $27,953 |
| Completed (graduates) | 72 | $39,463 |
| Did not complete | 112 | $23,166 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $469.26/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Oglethorpe.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 159 | $28,364 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 25 | $25,250 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Oglethorpe.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Oglethorpe appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 254 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,250 |
| Middle income | $14,951 |
| High income | $12,375 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,250 |
| Independent students | $20,072 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Oglethorpe.
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.