by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Utah Valley University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
For incoming students at UVU, 13% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, borrowing on average $6,473 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
The typical federal loan comes to $5,279, or about 96.0% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Bear in mind the undergraduate averages later on cover federal loans only, whereas this freshman total folds in private loans too.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at UVU, 14% take out federal student loans, at an average of $7,445 per year. That amounts to 41.0% above the $5,279 freshmen take on.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $14,890 over two years and about $29,780 after four. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 14% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,445 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 3,965 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $29,520,497 |
The median student at UVU borrows $8,899 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $8,899 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,750 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,000 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at UVU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,119 |
| 25th percentile | $3,500 |
| 75th percentile | $19,250 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,598 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at UVU.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for UVU.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 469 | $10,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 128 | $9,582 |
| Did not complete | 341 | $10,000 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $113.94/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at UVU.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 455 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 14 | — |
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 321 | $9,830 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 148 | $11,424 |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at UVU.
A loan default — failing to keep up with federal student-loan payments — is one of the worst financial outcomes a borrower can face. The federal two-year cohort default rate for UVU is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 6.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 5193 |
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.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,225 |
| Middle income | $9,500 |
| High income | $6,649 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $9,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $8,250 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $6,930 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at UVU.
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.