by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Houston-Victoria— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at UH Victoria, 28% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, at roughly $6,825 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,300, amounting to 96.4% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UH Victoria, 39% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $7,466 in federal loans per year. This is 40.9% above the $5,300 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $14,932 across two years and $29,864 over a four-year span. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 39% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,466 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,023 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $7,638,145 |
The median student at UH Victoria borrows $13,565 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,565 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,973 |
| 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 UH Victoria.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $22,763 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,348 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at UH Victoria.
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 UH Victoria.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 327 | $10,042 |
| Completed (graduates) | 161 | $11,724 |
| Did not complete | 166 | $9,332 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $139.41/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UH Victoria.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 249 | $10,007 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 78 | $10,289 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UH Victoria.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UH Victoria follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 743 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,750 |
| Middle income | $14,250 |
| High income | $13,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,982 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $16,878 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for UH Victoria.
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.