by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Nevada-Las Vegas, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Among first-year students at UNLV, 27% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $6,345 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $4,859, which is 88.3% 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.
Counting every undergraduate at UNLV, 27% take out federal student loans, with a mean of $8,284 in federal loans per year. This works out to 70.5% larger than the freshman federal average of $4,859.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $16,568 across two years and $33,136 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 27% |
| Average federal loan per year | $8,284 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 6,563 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $54,365,978 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UNLV carry a median federal debt of $12,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $19,450 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,742 |
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 UNLV.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,250 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $24,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UNLV.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UNLV.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 3259 | $18,348 |
| Completed (graduates) | 1240 | $20,906 |
| Did not complete | 2019 | $17,252 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $248.59/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at UNLV.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 3135 | $18,333 |
| No Stafford loan | 124 | $18,898 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 2289 | $18,497 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 970 | $18,000 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UNLV.
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 UNLV follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4043 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $12,000 |
| High income | $12,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,456 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $16,334 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UNLV.
Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
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.