by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend The Chicago School at Chicago: 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at The Chicago School Chicago Campus, 71% borrow through federal student loan programs, with a mean of $12,338 annually.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $24,676 across two years and $49,352 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 71% |
| Average federal loan per year | $12,338 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 22 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $271,427 |
The middle borrower at The Chicago School Chicago Campus owes $10,250 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $10,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $5,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,166 |
| 25th percentile | $1,949 |
| 75th percentile | $7,593 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $24,136 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 882 | $19,181 |
| Completed (graduates) | 595 | $21,265 |
| Did not complete | 287 | $16,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $252.86/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 796 | $18,836 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 86 | $21,937 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for The Chicago School Chicago Campus appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1143 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $9,500 |
| Middle income | $10,500 |
| High income | $11,250 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $7,500 |
| Independent students | $10,938 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at The Chicago School Chicago Campus.
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.
Did You Know?
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.