by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Salem 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 first-year students at Salem, 91% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $12,912 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $10,477. This reaches or tops the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap for a typical dependent student. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Salem, 72% take out federal student loans, for a typical $5,848 each per year. This is 44.2% lower than the $10,477 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,696 in two years and roughly $23,392 by the fourth year. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 72% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,848 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 548 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,204,878 |
The middle borrower at Salem owes $7,405 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $7,405 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,694 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,293 |
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 Salem.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $16,226 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,700 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Salem.
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 Salem.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 170 | $11,472 |
| Completed (graduates) | 88 | $12,178 |
| Did not complete | 82 | $11,107 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $144.81/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Salem.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 154 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 16 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Salem.
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 Salem is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 18.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 719 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $5,913 |
| Middle income | $12,500 |
| High income | $10,467 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $7,331 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,482 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,156 |
| Independent students | $6,267 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Salem.
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
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.