by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Binghamton University: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at Binghamton University, 47% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $8,204 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,347, amounting to 97.2% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at Binghamton University, freshmen included, 39% take out federal student loans, with a mean of $6,468 each per year. That amounts to 21.0% above the freshman federal average of $5,347.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,936 after two years and $25,872 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 | 39% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,468 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 5,680 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $36,738,363 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at Binghamton University carry a median federal debt of $15,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,373 |
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 Binghamton University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,001 |
| 25th percentile | $8,250 |
| 75th percentile | $25,600 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $29,558 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Binghamton University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Binghamton University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1666 | $24,009 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1125 | $27,270 |
| Did not complete | 541 | $20,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $324.27/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Binghamton University.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1639 | $24,018 |
| No Stafford loan | 27 | $21,800 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1450 | $25,186 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 216 | $20,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Binghamton University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Binghamton University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2435 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,005 |
| Middle income | $15,750 |
| High income | $15,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,251 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Binghamton University.
The Difference Between 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.
Important to Remember
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.
