by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UHSP specifically, 96% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, with a typical loan of $8,272 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $4,272, which is 77.7% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at UHSP, 68% take out federal student loans, at an average of $6,073 a year. This is 42.2% higher than the $4,272 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,146 in two years and roughly $24,292 over a four-year span. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 68% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,073 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 187 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $1,135,636 |
The middle borrower at UHSP owes $14,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,755 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,750 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UHSP.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $10,500 |
| 75th percentile | $19,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UHSP.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UHSP.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 130 | $33,600 |
| Completed (graduates) | 97 | $41,572 |
| Did not complete | 33 | $21,500 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $494.34/mo.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UHSP.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for UHSP is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 249 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $15,500 |
| High income | $15,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,918 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,500 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at UHSP.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Worth Knowing
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.