by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Looking at the entering class at USAO, 40% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, with a typical loan of $5,843 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,248, equal to roughly 95.4% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Looking at all undergraduates at USAO, freshmen included, 38% borrow through federal student loan programs, with a mean of $6,692 each per year. That amounts to 27.5% above the freshman federal average of $5,248.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,384 over two years and about $26,768 across a four-year program. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 38% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,692 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 340 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,275,294 |
The middle borrower at USAO owes $10,736 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $10,736 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $21,750 |
| 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 USAO.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,350 |
| 25th percentile | $4,398 |
| 75th percentile | $20,483 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at USAO.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at USAO.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 59 | $10,441 |
| Completed (graduates) | 23 | $10,441 |
| Did not complete | 36 | $10,346 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $124.15/mo.
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. USAO.
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 USAO follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 14.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 244 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $8,027 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $14,403 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $10,900 |
| Continuing-generation students | $10,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at USAO.
Subsidized vs. 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.
Did You Know?
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.