by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Pikeville, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UPIKE, 93% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, for an average of $7,188 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $6,590. 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UPIKE, 92% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $7,823 per year. This is 18.7% above the first-year federal average of $6,590.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $15,646 after two years and $31,292 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 | 92% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,823 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,049 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,205,878 |
The middle borrower at UPIKE owes $12,467 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,467 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,679 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at UPIKE.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $24,495 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,025 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UPIKE.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UPIKE.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 241 | $12,184 |
| Completed (graduates) | 139 | $15,610 |
| Did not complete | 102 | $9,304 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $185.62/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UPIKE.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 225 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 16 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. UPIKE.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for UPIKE appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 326 |
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 | $13,000 |
| Middle income | $13,000 |
| High income | $11,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,588 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,100 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $21,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UPIKE.
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.
Important to Remember
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.