by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for Thomas Jefferson University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Thomas Jefferson University, 95% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $6,288 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $3,341, equal to roughly 60.7% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Across the full undergraduate body at Thomas Jefferson University (freshmen included), 87% finance part of their studies with federal loans, for a typical $3,994 per year. This works out to 19.5% greater than the first-year federal average of $3,341.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $7,988 after two years and $15,976 by the fourth year. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 87% |
| Average federal loan per year | $3,994 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,212 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $12,829,902 |
The median student at Thomas Jefferson University borrows $12,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,744 |
| Students who withdrew | $12,490 |
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 Thomas Jefferson University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,000 |
| 25th percentile | $7,000 |
| 75th percentile | $15,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Thomas Jefferson University.
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 Thomas Jefferson University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1376 | $25,821 |
| Completed (graduates) | 532 | $32,255 |
| Did not complete | 844 | $22,510 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $383.55/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Thomas Jefferson University.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1352 | $26,000 |
| No Stafford loan | 24 | $16,562 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1142 | $28,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 234 | $19,708 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Thomas Jefferson University.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Thomas Jefferson University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 0.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 939 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $12,750 |
| High income | $12,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,750 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Thomas Jefferson 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.