by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Trinity Washington University: 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.
For incoming students at Trinity College, 39% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, averaging $4,997 each, across private and federal loan sources.
Federal loans alone average $4,997, amounting to 90.9% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at Trinity College, 46% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $6,628 annually. That amounts to 32.6% larger than the freshman federal average of $4,997.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,256 over two years and about $26,512 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 46% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,628 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 653 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,328,220 |
The median student at Trinity College borrows $19,402 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,402 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $28,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Trinity College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,316 |
| 75th percentile | $32,303 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $46,720 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Trinity College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Trinity College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 235 | $14,380 |
| Completed (graduates) | 141 | $18,497 |
| Did not complete | 94 | $11,654 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $219.95/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Trinity College.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 202 | $14,649 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 33 | $10,500 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Trinity College.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Trinity College is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 676 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,250 |
| Middle income | $19,125 |
| High income | $19,731 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,500 |
| Independent students | $20,253 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Trinity College.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Worth Knowing
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.