by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Southern College of Optometry: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Southern College of Optometry.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $14,617 |
| 25th percentile | $14,617 |
| 75th percentile | $15,211 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $15,211 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Southern College of Optometry.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Southern College of Optometry.
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 Southern College of Optometry follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 127 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
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.
Did You Know?
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.