by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Otterbein University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Otterbein, 52% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,697 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,565. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Otterbein, 55% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, at an average of $6,570 in federal loans per year. This works out to 18.1% greater than the freshman federal average of $5,565.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,140 by year two and around $26,280 by the fourth year. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 55% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,570 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,126 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,397,734 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Otterbein carry a median federal debt of $20,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $20,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $12,375 |
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 Otterbein.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,250 |
| 25th percentile | $8,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,588 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Otterbein.
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 Otterbein.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 474 | $30,816 |
| Completed (graduates) | 265 | $39,500 |
| Did not complete | 209 | $22,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $469.7/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Otterbein.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 441 | $33,534 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 33 | $15,384 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Otterbein.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Otterbein follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 791 |
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 | $19,000 |
| Middle income | $20,200 |
| High income | $21,250 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $21,125 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $20,500 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Otterbein.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
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.