by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Central Arkansas— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UCA, 49% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, with a typical loan of $6,754 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,434, equal to roughly 98.8% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UCA, 42% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $7,620 in federal loans per year. This works out to 40.2% greater than the $5,434 borrowed by freshmen.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $15,240 across two years and $30,480 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 | 42% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,620 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,145 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $23,963,900 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UCA carry a median federal debt of $13,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,346 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,315 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UCA.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,779 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $23,500 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,992 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UCA.
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 UCA.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1391 | $13,135 |
| Completed (graduates) | 730 | $16,180 |
| Did not complete | 661 | $11,040 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $192.4/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UCA.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1364 | $13,149 |
| No Stafford loan | 27 | $12,040 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1289 | $13,135 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 102 | $13,221 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. UCA.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UCA follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2767 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,981 |
| Middle income | $13,500 |
| High income | $12,713 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,465 |
| Independent students | $16,375 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UCA.
Subsidized vs. 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
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.