by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of South Dakota, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At USD, 61% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $7,924 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,130, equal to roughly 93.3% of the typical first-year dependent student borrowing cap of $5,500. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Counting every undergraduate at USD, 55% borrow through federal student loan programs, borrowing on average $6,150 each per year. That amounts to 19.9% larger than the first-year federal average of $5,130.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,300 after two years and $24,600 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 55% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,150 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,863 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $17,608,442 |
The median student at USD borrows $17,500 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $17,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,592 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,782 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,379 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,854 |
How wide this percentile range is tells you how much borrowing varies across students at USD.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at USD.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1393 | $12,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 761 | $15,000 |
| Did not complete | 632 | $10,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $178.37/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 | 1382 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 11 | — |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 1247 | $12,500 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 146 | $10,000 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for USD.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for USD follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2514 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
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 | $17,500 |
| Middle income | $17,186 |
| High income | $17,614 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,121 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,024 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,500 |
| Independent students | $18,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at USD.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.
Important to Remember
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.