by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend University of Virginia-Main Campus, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at University of Virginia, 23% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, with a typical loan of $8,794 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
Federal loans alone average $4,851, which is 88.2% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Across the full undergraduate body at University of Virginia (freshmen included), 20% take out federal student loans, at an average of $5,913 annually. This works out to 21.9% higher than the $4,851 typical freshmen borrow.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $11,826 in two years and roughly $23,652 over a four-year span. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 20% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,913 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,500 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $20,695,548 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at University of Virginia carry a median federal debt of $15,153 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,153 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $17,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 University of Virginia.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $5,000 |
| 25th percentile | $8,196 |
| 75th percentile | $26,652 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $30,684 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at University of Virginia.
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 University of Virginia.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 1297 | $27,118 |
| Completed (graduates) | 998 | $28,903 |
| Did not complete | 299 | $22,163 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $343.69/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at University of Virginia.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 1262 | $26,889 |
| No Stafford loan | 35 | $43,359 |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 907 | $30,246 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 390 | $20,767 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for University of Virginia.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for University of Virginia is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 2503 |
The cohort default rate tracks borrowers who entered repayment in a given year and defaulted within the two-year measurement window.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,047 |
| Middle income | $15,000 |
| High income | $18,414 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,339 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,750 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,500 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for University of Virginia.
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.
Important to Remember
Declaring bankruptcy does not erase federal student loan debt. If you stop paying, the federal government can garnish a portion of your wages until the loans are repaid.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.