by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Suffolk County Community College— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Suffolk County Community College, 12% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $4,224 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $3,913, or about 71.1% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at Suffolk County Community College (freshmen included), 10% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $4,328 each per year. This works out to 10.6% more than the freshman federal average of $3,913.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $8,656 across two years and $17,312 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 10% |
| Average federal loan per year | $4,328 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,443 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,245,218 |
The middle borrower at Suffolk County Community College owes $5,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $5,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $8,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Suffolk County Community College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $2,500 |
| 75th percentile | $8,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $12,291 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Suffolk County Community College.
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 Suffolk County Community College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1114 | $13,983 |
| Completed (graduates) | 244 | $14,211 |
| Did not complete | 870 | $13,820 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $168.98/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Suffolk County Community College.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1084 | $14,099 |
| No Stafford loan | 30 | $13,200 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 429 | $12,500 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 685 | $15,000 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Suffolk County Community College.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Suffolk County Community College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2689 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $4,850 |
| Middle income | $4,750 |
| High income | $5,500 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $5,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $5,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $5,500 |
| Independent students | $7,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Suffolk County Community College.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
With an unsubsidized loan, interest starts adding up the day the loan is disbursed, including during school. Subsidized loans, by contrast, do not accrue interest while you are enrolled at least half-time, which makes them the less expensive option when you qualify.
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.