by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Siena Heights 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 Siena Heights University specifically, 96% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $5,802 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,605. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
For undergraduates overall at Siena Heights University, 73% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $7,240 annually. That is 29.2% greater than the $5,605 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $14,480 over two years and about $28,960 after four. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 73% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,240 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,158 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,384,087 |
The middle borrower at Siena Heights University owes $15,625 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,625 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Siena Heights University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,690 |
| 25th percentile | $7,878 |
| 75th percentile | $22,018 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,750 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Siena Heights University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Siena Heights University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 359 | $15,256 |
| Completed (graduates) | 206 | $17,192 |
| Did not complete | 153 | $13,040 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $204.43/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Siena Heights University.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 319 | $15,537 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 40 | $12,938 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Siena Heights 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 Siena Heights University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 855 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,018 |
| Middle income | $15,625 |
| High income | $15,626 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,625 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,187 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,240 |
| Independent students | $16,018 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Siena Heights University.
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
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.