by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of New Orleans— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UNO, 31% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $5,699 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,156, equal to roughly 93.7% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Looking at all undergraduates at UNO, freshmen included, 34% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, averaging $6,485 per year. It comes to 25.8% above the $5,156 borrowed by freshmen.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,970 by year two and around $25,940 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 34% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,485 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,513 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $9,811,135 |
The median student at UNO borrows $11,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $18,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,206 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UNO.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,250 |
| 75th percentile | $19,892 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at UNO.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UNO.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 781 | $13,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 226 | $15,048 |
| Did not complete | 555 | $12,722 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $178.94/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 UNO.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 763 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 18 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 536 | $11,925 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 245 | $16,000 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UNO.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UNO appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 7.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2369 |
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 | $10,500 |
| Middle income | $12,025 |
| High income | $11,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $11,318 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $9,500 |
| Independent students | $12,856 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at UNO.
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.
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.