by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UAMS, 33% take out federal student loans, for a typical $5,852 in federal loans per year.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,704 over two years and about $23,408 after four. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 33% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,852 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 451 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,639,335 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UAMS carry a median federal debt of $13,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $4,993 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for UAMS.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,000 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $20,275 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $25,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UAMS.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at UAMS.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 251 | $12,500 |
| Completed (graduates) | 202 | $13,940 |
| Did not complete | 49 | $11,440 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $165.76/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UAMS.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 210 | $11,322 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 41 | $15,139 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UAMS.
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 UAMS is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 786 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $16,408 |
| Middle income | $12,500 |
| High income | $12,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,988 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,231 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,395 |
| Independent students | $16,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UAMS.
The Difference Between 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.
Worth Knowing
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.