by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Samuel Merritt 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.
For undergraduates overall at Samuel Merritt University, 95% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $11,535 per year.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $23,070 in two years and roughly $46,140 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 95% |
| Average federal loan per year | $11,535 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 677 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,809,530 |
The middle borrower at Samuel Merritt University owes $20,825 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $20,825 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,825 |
| Students who withdrew | $19,375 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Samuel Merritt University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $9,500 |
| 25th percentile | $15,000 |
| 75th percentile | $20,949 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $26,750 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Samuel Merritt University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Samuel Merritt University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 240 | $27,805 |
| Completed (graduates) | 203 | $28,226 |
| Did not complete | 37 | $19,304 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $335.64/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Samuel Merritt University.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 201 | $28,906 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 39 | $19,304 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Samuel Merritt 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 Samuel Merritt University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 582 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $20,825 |
| Middle income | $20,825 |
| High income | $20,825 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,825 |
| Continuing-generation students | $20,825 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,651 |
| Independent students | $20,825 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Samuel Merritt University.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
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.