by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Spokane Community College— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Spokane Community College, 26% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, at roughly $6,543 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,970. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing 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.
Looking at all undergraduates at Spokane Community College, freshmen included, 32% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $6,561 each per year. This is 9.9% higher than the first-year federal average of $5,970.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,122 after two years and $26,244 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 32% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,561 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,326 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,699,373 |
The middle borrower at Spokane Community College owes $8,625 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,625 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,501 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,785 |
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 Spokane Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,312 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $15,636 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $23,986 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Spokane Community College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Spokane Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 362 | $12,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 77 | $8,220 |
| Did not complete | 285 | $12,145 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $97.74/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Spokane Community College.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 352 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 10 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 138 | $7,816 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 224 | $13,838 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Spokane Community College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Spokane Community College appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 19.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2228 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $8,669 |
| Middle income | $8,605 |
| High income | $7,333 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $8,582 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,625 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Spokane Community College.
The Difference Between 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.
Worth Knowing
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.