by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Pearl River Community College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Pearl River Community College specifically, 28% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, for an average of $5,088 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $4,951, amounting to 90.0% 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.
For undergraduates overall at Pearl River Community College, 33% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $6,097 annually. That amounts to 23.1% above the $4,951 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,194 across two years and $24,388 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 33% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,097 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,573 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $9,590,210 |
The median student at Pearl River Community College borrows $6,250 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $6,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $9,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
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 Pearl River Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,592 |
| 25th percentile | $2,407 |
| 75th percentile | $8,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $13,525 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Pearl River Community College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Pearl River Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 173 | $10,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 45 | $10,343 |
| Did not complete | 128 | $9,900 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $122.99/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Pearl River Community College.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 91 | $9,300 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 82 | $12,183 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Pearl River 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 federal two-year cohort default rate for Pearl River Community College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 17.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 836 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $6,222 |
| Middle income | $5,750 |
| High income | $6,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $6,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Pearl River Community College.
Subsidized vs. 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.