by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Southern Oregon 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.
For incoming students at Southern Oregon University, 45% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, averaging $11,131 each, across private and federal loan sources.
On the federal side, the average loan is $11,131. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
For undergraduates overall at Southern Oregon University, 44% take out federal student loans, averaging $9,489 per year. That is 14.8% lower than the $11,131 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $18,978 over two years and about $37,956 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 | 44% |
| Average federal loan per year | $9,489 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,188 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $11,272,622 |
The middle borrower at Southern Oregon University owes $15,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,332 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,000 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Southern Oregon University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,333 |
| 75th percentile | $26,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $35,843 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Southern Oregon University.
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 Southern Oregon University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 618 | $18,389 |
| Completed (graduates) | 293 | $21,279 |
| Did not complete | 325 | $16,563 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $253.03/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Southern Oregon University.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 606 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 12 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 540 | $19,539 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 78 | $14,096 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Southern Oregon University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Southern Oregon University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1294 |
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 | $16,758 |
| Middle income | $14,428 |
| High income | $14,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,137 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,333 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,000 |
| Independent students | $18,103 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Southern Oregon University.
Subsidized vs. 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.