by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for The University of Texas at Arlington: 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.
At UT Arlington, 28% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, averaging $5,680 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,866, representing 88.5% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at UT Arlington, 31% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $6,631 annually. This is 36.3% larger than the $4,866 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,262 after two years and $26,524 across a four-year program. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 31% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,631 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 9,706 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $64,357,105 |
The median student at UT Arlington borrows $11,791 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,791 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,527 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
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 UT Arlington.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $21,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UT Arlington.
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 UT Arlington.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3890 | $12,948 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1890 | $12,313 |
| Did not complete | 2000 | $13,563 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $146.41/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UT Arlington.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3836 | $12,829 |
| No Stafford loan | 54 | $16,504 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 2660 | $12,315 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 1230 | $14,260 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UT Arlington.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for UT Arlington follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 6332 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,558 |
| Middle income | $11,904 |
| High income | $12,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,594 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,372 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,000 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for UT Arlington.
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.