by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of Puget Sound— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At Puget Sound, 42% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $7,499 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,188, equal to roughly 94.3% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Counting every undergraduate at Puget Sound, 43% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $6,270 per year. This works out to 20.9% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,188.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $12,540 over two years and about $25,080 over four years. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 43% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,270 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 704 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,414,346 |
The middle borrower at Puget Sound owes $19,250 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,250 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,625 |
The figure for students who withdrew is worth watching: debt without a completed credential is the hardest to repay.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Puget Sound.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,584 |
| 25th percentile | $6,000 |
| 75th percentile | $29,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $39,750 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at Puget Sound.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Puget Sound.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 243 | $42,966 |
| Completed (graduates) | 181 | $52,058 |
| Did not complete | 62 | $26,500 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $619.03/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Puget Sound.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 231 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 12 | — |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Puget Sound.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Puget Sound appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 626 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,593 |
| Middle income | $19,375 |
| High income | $18,939 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,000 |
| Independent students | $23,000 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Puget Sound.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Did You Know?
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.