by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Indianapolis— 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.
At UIndy specifically, 48% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, averaging $8,176 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,550. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. 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 UIndy, 48% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $6,871 each per year. It comes to 23.8% above the $5,550 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $13,742 in two years and roughly $27,484 over four years. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 48% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,871 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,510 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $10,375,924 |
The middle borrower at UIndy owes $18,714 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,714 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,864 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,212 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for UIndy.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,243 |
| 75th percentile | $29,300 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $40,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at UIndy.
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 UIndy.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 843 | $20,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 533 | $23,490 |
| Did not complete | 310 | $14,936 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $279.32/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UIndy.
Borrowers With Any Stafford Loan
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 828 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 15 | — |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 785 | $20,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 58 | $19,584 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UIndy.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for UIndy is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1351 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,582 |
| Middle income | $16,909 |
| High income | $19,690 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,385 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $18,500 |
| Independent students | $19,684 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UIndy.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Important to Remember
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.