by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Our Lady of the Lake University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at OLLU, 54% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, with a typical loan of $5,185 each, across private and federal loan sources.
On the federal side, the average loan is $4,582, representing 83.3% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at OLLU (freshmen included), 61% borrow through federal student loan programs, with a mean of $6,505 per year. That is 42.0% greater than the $4,582 borrowed by freshmen.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,010 across two years and $26,020 after four. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 61% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,505 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 679 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,416,724 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at OLLU carry a median federal debt of $17,084 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,084 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,999 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
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 OLLU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,250 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at OLLU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for OLLU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 415 | $12,301 |
| Completed (graduates) | 274 | $13,025 |
| Did not complete | 141 | $11,600 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $154.88/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at OLLU.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 381 | $12,708 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 34 | $9,413 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for OLLU.
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 OLLU appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 825 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $18,171 |
| Middle income | $17,500 |
| High income | $15,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,017 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,251 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,125 |
| Independent students | $23,731 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at OLLU.
The Difference Between 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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.