by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Sioux Falls— 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.
Looking at the entering class at University of Sioux Falls, 75% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $7,266 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $5,251, representing 95.5% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
Looking at all undergraduates at University of Sioux Falls, freshmen included, 68% take out federal student loans, for a typical $6,533 annually. That is 24.4% greater than the $5,251 freshmen take on.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $13,066 in two years and roughly $26,132 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 | 68% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,533 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 855 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $5,585,693 |
The median student at University of Sioux Falls borrows $16,141 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $16,141 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,249 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
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 University of Sioux Falls.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,718 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $25,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at University of Sioux Falls.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at University of Sioux Falls.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 192 | $15,433 |
| Completed (graduates) | 127 | $18,000 |
| Did not complete | 65 | $14,295 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $214.04/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at University of Sioux Falls.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 159 | $16,000 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 33 | $15,076 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at University of Sioux Falls.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for University of Sioux Falls follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 440 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,250 |
| Middle income | $16,529 |
| High income | $16,655 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,250 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,750 |
| Independent students | $19,359 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for University of Sioux Falls.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
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.