by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at UAPB, 63% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, with a typical loan of $5,771 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,504. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent freshman. 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 UAPB, freshmen included, 58% finance part of their studies with federal loans, at an average of $6,171 annually. This is 12.1% larger than the $5,504 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $12,342 across two years and $24,684 over a four-year span. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 58% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,171 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,096 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $6,763,313 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UAPB carry a median federal debt of $14,328 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,328 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,202 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,250 |
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 UAPB.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,980 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $26,749 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $38,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UAPB.
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 UAPB.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 418 | $10,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 169 | $11,016 |
| Did not complete | 249 | $9,970 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $130.99/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at UAPB.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 391 | $10,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 27 | $8,865 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UAPB.
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 UAPB appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 21.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1358 |
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 | $14,250 |
| Middle income | $14,250 |
| High income | $15,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,371 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,250 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,500 |
| Independent students | $14,198 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UAPB.
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.
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.