by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Valley City State University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. The data below is drawn directly from federal sources.
At Valley City State University specifically, 58% of first-year students take on loan debt, at roughly $5,996 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $4,665, or about 84.8% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Remember the all-undergraduate figures below leave out private loans, so they will look lower than this private-plus-federal freshman amount.
Looking at all undergraduates at Valley City State University, freshmen included, 52% rely on federal student loans toward their education, with a mean of $6,265 annually. That is 34.3% above the freshman federal average of $4,665.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,530 after two years and $25,060 across a four-year program. This assumes steady federal borrowing and leaves out private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 52% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,265 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 478 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,994,791 |
The middle borrower at Valley City State University owes $11,761 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $11,761 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $20,369 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,569 |
Debt carried by students who withdrew is a key risk signal — these borrowers owe money without having earned the credential.
Half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles shown below for Valley City State University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $21,328 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Valley City State University.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Valley City State University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 83 | $7,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 31 | $7,744 |
| Did not complete | 52 | $7,000 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $92.08/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Valley City State University.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 48 | $6,765 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 35 | $8,644 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Valley City State University.
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 Valley City State University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.4% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 286 |
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 | $10,313 |
| Middle income | $11,063 |
| High income | $12,500 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,422 |
| Continuing-generation students | $12,000 |
Dependency-Status Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,402 |
| Independent students | $12,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Valley City State University.
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.