by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Rochester University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At RCU, 69% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, borrowing on average $6,989 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,314, or about 96.6% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
For undergraduates overall at RCU, 69% rely on federal student loans toward their education, at an average of $6,992 in federal loans per year. That is 31.6% larger than the $5,314 borrowed by freshmen.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,984 over two years and about $27,968 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 69% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,992 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 574 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,013,649 |
The middle borrower at RCU owes $14,750 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,750 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,475 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
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 RCU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,079 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at RCU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for RCU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 170 | $14,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 75 | $15,987 |
| Did not complete | 95 | $11,281 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $190.1/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at RCU.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 154 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 16 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for RCU.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for RCU follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 349 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $16,659 |
| High income | $15,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,730 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,000 |
| Independent students | $18,281 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at RCU.
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.
Worth Knowing
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.