by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Dubuque— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
For incoming students at UD, 74% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, at roughly $14,641 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $6,334. This is at or above the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing cap that applies to the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
For undergraduates overall at UD, 70% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $7,757 per year. This is 22.5% more than the freshman federal average of $6,334.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $15,514 by year two and around $31,028 over a four-year span. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 70% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,757 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,036 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $8,036,447 |
The middle borrower at UD owes $17,070 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,070 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
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 UD.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,750 |
| 25th percentile | $7,750 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $37,130 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UD.
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 UD.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 272 | $18,092 |
| Completed (graduates) | 133 | $21,000 |
| Did not complete | 139 | $15,948 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $249.71/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at UD.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 241 | $19,346 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 31 | $10,000 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. UD.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for UD follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 8.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 544 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $14,290 |
| Middle income | $18,790 |
| High income | $19,250 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,121 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,830 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,500 |
| Independent students | $14,250 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UD.
Subsidized and 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.
Important to Remember
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.