by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Kansas, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At KU specifically, 46% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, at roughly $7,579 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $5,245, representing 95.4% 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.
For undergraduates overall at KU, 39% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, at an average of $6,312 in federal loans per year. That amounts to 20.3% above the $5,245 freshmen take on.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,624 by year two and around $25,248 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 39% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,312 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 7,720 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $48,726,727 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at KU carry a median federal debt of $15,500 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $10,950 |
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 KU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at KU.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at KU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3972 | $28,144 |
| Completed (graduates) | 2153 | $32,347 |
| Did not complete | 1819 | $24,176 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $384.64/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at KU.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3813 | $28,985 |
| No Stafford loan | 159 | $18,016 |
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 3570 | $30,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 402 | $17,364 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for KU.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for KU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.1% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 5040 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,017 |
| Middle income | $15,500 |
| High income | $15,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $16,111 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,500 |
| Independent students | $16,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at KU.
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.
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.