by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Looking at all undergraduates at MD Anderson, freshmen included, 34% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $8,439 per year.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $16,878 by year two and around $33,756 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 | 34% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,439 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 110 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $928,248 |
The middle borrower at MD Anderson owes $12,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $12,500 |
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for MD Anderson.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,000 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $20,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at MD Anderson.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at MD Anderson.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 28 | $19,125 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at MD Anderson.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for MD Anderson appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 71 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $12,750 |
| High income | $11,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,375 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,000 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for MD Anderson.
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.
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.