by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Richmond— 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.
Among first-year students at URichmond, 27% of incoming students take out a loan to help cover first-year costs, averaging $7,729 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federally funded loan is $4,881, representing 88.7% 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.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at URichmond, 32% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, with a mean of $6,165 a year. This works out to 26.3% larger than the $4,881 typical freshmen borrow.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,330 in two years and roughly $24,660 by the fourth year. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 32% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,165 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 967 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,961,726 |
The middle borrower at URichmond owes $19,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,264 |
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 URichmond.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,000 |
| 25th percentile | $9,570 |
| 75th percentile | $26,857 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at URichmond.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at URichmond.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 240 | $28,150 |
| Completed (graduates) | 189 | $30,512 |
| Did not complete | 51 | $19,900 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $362.82/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at URichmond.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 204 | $28,480 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 36 | $21,765 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. URichmond.
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 URichmond appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 698 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,055 |
| Middle income | $17,750 |
| High income | $20,500 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,203 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,000 |
| Independent students | $18,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at URichmond.
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.
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.