by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of New Mexico-Los Alamos Campus: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UNM Los Alamos specifically, 0% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year.
Across the full undergraduate body at UNM Los Alamos (freshmen included), 21% borrow through federal student loan programs, at an average of $477 annually.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $954 by year two and around $1,908 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 | 21% |
| Average federal loan per year | $477 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 50 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $23,832 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UNM Los Alamos carry a median federal debt of $13,698 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $13,698 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,450 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,322 |
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 UNM Los Alamos.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,820 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at UNM Los Alamos.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UNM Los Alamos.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 879 | $12,107 |
| Completed (graduates) | 412 | $13,000 |
| Did not complete | 467 | $11,337 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $154.58/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at UNM Los Alamos.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 858 | $12,053 |
| No Stafford loan | 21 | $12,781 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 607 | $10,500 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 272 | $15,155 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UNM Los Alamos.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UNM Los Alamos appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 9.9% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 4873 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,250 |
| Middle income | $13,238 |
| High income | $13,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $13,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,097 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $12,000 |
| Independent students | $18,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at UNM Los Alamos.
The Difference Between 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
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.