by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of North Georgia— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
For incoming students at UNG, 22% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $6,236 each, across private and federal loan sources.
The average federal loan is $4,731, which is 86.0% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Across the full undergraduate body at UNG (freshmen included), 22% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, borrowing on average $5,511 in federal loans per year. That is 16.5% above the $4,731 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $11,022 across two years and $22,044 across a four-year program. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 22% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,511 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,393 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $18,699,873 |
The middle borrower at UNG owes $9,673 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $9,673 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for UNG.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,250 |
| 25th percentile | $4,011 |
| 75th percentile | $17,503 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,169 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UNG.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UNG.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1041 | $12,776 |
| Completed (graduates) | 382 | $12,100 |
| Did not complete | 659 | $13,000 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $143.88/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at UNG.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1003 | $12,788 |
| No Stafford loan | 38 | $9,436 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 779 | $12,398 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 262 | $15,000 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UNG.
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 UNG follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 914 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Median debt differs by income tier, first-generation status, and whether the student is financially dependent.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,000 |
| Middle income | $9,891 |
| High income | $9,124 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,000 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $8,785 |
| Independent students | $12,671 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at UNG.
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
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.