by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Bridgeport, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UBridgeport, 67% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,880 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federally funded loan is $5,292, representing 96.2% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UBridgeport, 77% take out federal student loans, at an average of $7,405 a year. That amounts to 39.9% above the $5,292 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $14,810 across two years and $29,620 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 77% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,405 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,119 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,286,226 |
The middle borrower at UBridgeport owes $19,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,000 |
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 UBridgeport.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $8,250 |
| 75th percentile | $30,437 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $42,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at UBridgeport.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at UBridgeport.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 785 | $21,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 392 | $22,931 |
| Did not complete | 393 | $18,432 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $272.67/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UBridgeport.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 698 | $21,437 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 87 | $18,006 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UBridgeport.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UBridgeport follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.6% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1045 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $21,393 |
| Middle income | $19,000 |
| High income | $15,875 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,665 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,500 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,500 |
| Independent students | $22,000 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for UBridgeport.
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.
Did You Know?
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.