by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend University of Wisconsin-River Falls, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
Looking at the entering class at UW - River Falls, 54% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, borrowing on average $7,789 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The typical federal loan comes to $4,981, which is 90.6% of the $5,500 first-year federal borrowing limit for a typical dependent freshman. Note that average undergraduate loan amounts shown later do not include private loans — so the full freshman figure above is not directly comparable.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UW - River Falls, 48% rely on federal student loans toward their education, for a typical $5,899 each per year. That is 18.4% larger than the $4,981 typical freshmen borrow.
At a steady annual pace, that totals around $11,798 after two years and $23,596 over a four-year span. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 48% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,899 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 2,005 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $11,826,680 |
Graduating and withdrawing students at UW - River Falls carry a median federal debt of $14,865 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $14,865 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,500 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,562 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for UW - River Falls.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,273 |
| 25th percentile | $6,171 |
| 75th percentile | $26,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UW - River Falls.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UW - River Falls.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 423 | $12,280 |
| Completed (graduates) | 255 | $14,500 |
| Did not complete | 168 | $11,150 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $172.42/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UW - River Falls.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 375 | $12,138 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 48 | $12,932 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UW - River Falls.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. Two-year cohort default-rate data for UW - River Falls follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 2.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1661 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
The breakdowns below show median federal debt by income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,500 |
| Middle income | $15,225 |
| High income | $15,016 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,000 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,500 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $14,865 |
| Independent students | $14,875 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for UW - River Falls.
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?
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.