by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Saint Martin’s University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Saint Martin’s specifically, 81% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, for an average of $3,985 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $3,085, equal to roughly 56.1% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
For undergraduates overall at Saint Martin’s, 69% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $4,605 annually. It comes to 49.3% larger than the first-year federal average of $3,085.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $9,210 in two years and roughly $18,420 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 69% |
| Average federal loan per year | $4,605 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 870 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,006,645 |
The middle borrower at Saint Martin’s owes $15,625 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,625 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,864 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Saint Martin’s.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $10,359 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Saint Martin’s.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Saint Martin’s.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 207 | $19,035 |
| Completed (graduates) | 126 | $22,678 |
| Did not complete | 81 | $15,408 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $269.67/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Saint Martin’s.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 170 | $20,852 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 37 | $13,339 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Saint Martin’s.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Saint Martin’s is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 451 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,875 |
| Middle income | $15,000 |
| High income | $15,139 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,564 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,000 |
| Independent students | $18,869 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Saint Martin’s.
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
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.