by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of San Diego: median debt, the percentile spread, total borrowing including PLUS loans, and the cost to repay. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
For incoming students at USD, 35% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, for an average of $7,430 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,181, representing 94.2% of the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing for the typical dependent student. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at USD, 33% rely on federal student loans toward their education, borrowing on average $6,414 a year. This works out to 23.8% greater than the first-year federal average of $5,181.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $12,828 by year two and around $25,656 by the fourth year. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 33% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,414 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 1,855 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $11,898,390 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at USD carry a median federal debt of $19,019 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $19,019 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $22,940 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,721 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for USD.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,500 |
| 25th percentile | $11,250 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at USD.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for USD.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1196 | $49,350 |
| Completed (graduates) | 949 | $56,559 |
| Did not complete | 247 | $30,229 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $672.55/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 USD.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1159 | $49,186 |
| No Stafford loan | 37 | $59,387 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1119 | $50,005 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 77 | $25,740 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at USD.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. The federal two-year cohort default rate for USD is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.0% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1662 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $20,010 |
| Middle income | $19,911 |
| High income | $18,000 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,750 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,068 |
| Independent students | $18,750 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at USD.
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.
Worth Knowing
Unlike most other debt, federal student loans generally survive bankruptcy — and unpaid balances can lead to wage garnishment — so borrow only what you truly need.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.