by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend South University-Savannah, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At South University, Savannah specifically, 94% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $6,669 each, across private and federal loan sources.
On the federal side, the average loan is $6,669. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at South University, Savannah (freshmen included), 74% rely on federal student loans toward their education, averaging $7,890 a year. That amounts to 18.3% larger than the $6,669 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $15,780 after two years and $31,560 over four years. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 74% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,890 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 181 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,428,061 |
The median student at South University, Savannah borrows $13,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,123 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at South University, Savannah.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,501 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $22,542 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at South University, Savannah.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for South University, Savannah.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1565 | $9,598 |
| Completed (graduates) | 743 | $10,629 |
| Did not complete | 822 | $9,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $126.39/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at South University, Savannah.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1367 | $9,690 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 198 | $9,256 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for South University, Savannah.
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 South University, Savannah appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 17.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 20558 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,643 |
| Middle income | $15,278 |
| High income | $14,700 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,883 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,576 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $13,668 |
| Independent students | $12,990 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at South University, Savannah.
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.