by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Vanderbilt University— 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 Vanderbilt specifically, 9% of incoming undergraduates borrow in year one, borrowing on average $12,263 each — a figure that counts both private and federal student loans.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,046, amounting to 91.7% of the $5,500 first-year borrowing cap for the typical first-year dependent student. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at Vanderbilt, 10% take out federal student loans, borrowing on average $6,117 annually. This works out to 21.2% larger than the $5,046 borrowed by freshmen.
Repeating that yearly amount projects to about $12,234 across two years and $24,468 over four years. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 10% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,117 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 684 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $4,183,995 |
The median student at Vanderbilt borrows $12,913 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,913 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $14,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,811 |
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 Vanderbilt.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,967 |
| 25th percentile | $6,500 |
| 75th percentile | $21,016 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $27,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Vanderbilt.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Vanderbilt.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 688 | $30,193 |
| Completed (graduates) | 599 | $30,844 |
| Did not complete | 89 | $27,453 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $366.77/mo.
Federal data lets us separate Stafford borrowers from the rest at Vanderbilt.
Any-Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 645 | $29,024 |
| No Stafford loan | 43 | $77,286 |
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 536 | $29,801 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 152 | $31,902 |
Repayment burden translates the debt figures into what a borrower actually pays each month. Vanderbilt.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The federal two-year cohort default rate for Vanderbilt appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 1.3% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 1723 |
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.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $7,500 |
| Middle income | $11,981 |
| High income | $14,000 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $11,981 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,077 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Vanderbilt.
The Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
Subsidized loans pause interest while you are in school; unsubsidized loans do not. That difference compounds over four years, so the type of loan you take matters as much as the amount.
Important to Remember
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.