by our College Data Analytics TeamBelow is federal data on the loans students use to pay for University of the West— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
At UWest specifically, 25% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, at roughly $2,722 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federally funded loan is $2,722, equal to roughly 49.5% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
Looking at all undergraduates at UWest, freshmen included, 24% use federal student loans to help pay for their education, borrowing on average $6,873 per year. That amounts to 152.5% above the freshman federal average of $2,722.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $13,746 across two years and $27,492 by the fourth year. These figures assume identical federal borrowing each year and omit private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 24% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,873 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 10 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $68,730 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UWest carry a median federal debt of $15,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $11,000 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for UWest.
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 UWest is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 5.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 14 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The Difference Between Subsidized and 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.