by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Rush University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Rush University, 47% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, with a mean of $11,417 a year.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $22,834 after two years and $45,668 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 | 47% |
| Average federal loan per year | $11,417 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 56 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $639,360 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Rush University carry a median federal debt of $19,273 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,273 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,988 |
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Rush University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,668 |
| 25th percentile | $10,668 |
| 75th percentile | $29,514 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,334 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Rush University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Rush University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 344 | $22,903 |
| Completed (graduates) | 296 | $24,558 |
| Did not complete | 48 | $14,151 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $292.02/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 Rush University.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 262 | $23,196 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 82 | $21,191 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Rush University.
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 Rush University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 503 |
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 | $23,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,020 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,387 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,834 |
| Independent students | $24,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Rush University.
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.
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.