by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Michigan-Dearborn, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At UM Dearborn, 24% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $5,621 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,936, equal to roughly 89.7% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at UM Dearborn (freshmen included), 38% borrow through federal student loan programs, averaging $6,826 per year. That is 38.3% above the first-year federal average of $4,936.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,652 by year two and around $27,304 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 | 38% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,826 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,206 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $15,057,348 |
The middle borrower at UM Dearborn owes $17,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,000 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UM Dearborn.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $30,287 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $40,800 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UM Dearborn.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at UM Dearborn.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 708 | $15,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 425 | $16,132 |
| Did not complete | 283 | $12,561 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $191.83/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at UM Dearborn.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 689 | $14,852 |
| No Stafford loan | 19 | $18,916 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 563 | $13,900 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 145 | $18,250 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UM Dearborn.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for UM Dearborn follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1686 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $17,250 |
| Middle income | $16,750 |
| High income | $16,725 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,180 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,000 |
| Independent students | $23,087 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UM Dearborn.
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.
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.