by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Rockford University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at Rockford, 56% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $7,470 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $5,310, equal to roughly 96.5% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at Rockford, freshmen included, 58% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,909 annually. That is 30.1% greater than the $5,310 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,818 in two years and roughly $27,636 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 58% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,909 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 553 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,820,839 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Rockford carry a median federal debt of $15,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,274 |
| 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 Rockford.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $8,250 |
| 75th percentile | $28,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Rockford.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Rockford.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 291 | $18,182 |
| Completed (graduates) | 135 | $22,982 |
| Did not complete | 156 | $15,185 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $273.28/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at Rockford.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 247 | $18,543 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 44 | $15,062 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Rockford.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Rockford appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 448 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,204 |
| Middle income | $15,000 |
| High income | $13,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,000 |
| Independent students | $25,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Rockford.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.
Important to Remember
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.