by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend The College of Idaho, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at The College of Idaho, 45% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,013 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $5,217, equal to roughly 94.9% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at The College of Idaho, 47% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $6,294 in federal loans per year. This is 20.6% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,217.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,588 across two years and $25,176 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 47% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,294 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 496 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,121,724 |
The median student at The College of Idaho borrows $17,000 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
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 The College of Idaho.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $7,795 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $32,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at The College of Idaho.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at The College of Idaho.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 96 | $27,914 |
| Completed (graduates) | 65 | $32,427 |
| Did not complete | 31 | $15,895 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $385.59/mo.
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. The College of Idaho.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for The College of Idaho appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 195 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,000 |
| Middle income | $18,500 |
| High income | $14,795 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,750 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,731 |
| Independent students | $20,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at The College of Idaho.
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.
Important to Remember
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.