by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of California-Berkeley: 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 UC Berkeley, 18% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, averaging $5,924 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $4,255, amounting to 77.4% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Across the full undergraduate body at UC Berkeley (freshmen included), 17% borrow through federal student loan programs, for a typical $5,380 in federal loans per year. This works out to 26.4% more than the freshman federal average of $4,255.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $10,760 over two years and about $21,520 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 17% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,380 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 5,566 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $29,942,572 |
The median student at UC Berkeley borrows $12,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $13,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,250 |
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 UC Berkeley.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,869 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $20,218 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UC Berkeley.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at UC Berkeley.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 2067 | $28,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1559 | $28,508 |
| Did not complete | 508 | $26,433 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $338.99/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UC Berkeley.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1942 | $27,918 |
| No Stafford loan | 125 | $31,943 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1718 | $28,664 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 349 | $25,030 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UC Berkeley.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for UC Berkeley follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4778 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $11,000 |
| Middle income | $11,000 |
| High income | $13,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,807 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at UC Berkeley.
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?
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.