by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Union Commonwealth 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.
Among first-year students at Union College, 62% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $5,424 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federally funded loan is $5,136, amounting to 93.4% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Looking at all undergraduates at Union College, freshmen included, 61% take out federal student loans, with a mean of $6,364 per year. That amounts to 23.9% above the $5,136 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,728 after two years and $25,456 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 | 61% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,364 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 448 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,851,203 |
The middle borrower at Union College owes $14,250 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,250 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,375 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Union College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,500 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Union College.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Union College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 180 | $13,537 |
| Completed (graduates) | 81 | $19,450 |
| Did not complete | 99 | $10,225 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $231.28/mo.
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Union College.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Union College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 10.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 656 |
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 | $14,250 |
| Middle income | $13,250 |
| High income | $15,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,750 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Union College.
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.
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.