by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend West Valley College— 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 West Valley College specifically, 0% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $9,404 per borrower, covering both private and federal loans.
The average federal loan is $9,404. That is at or past the $5,500 federal first-year limit for the typical dependent freshman. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Among all degree-seeking undergrads at West Valley College, 0% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $7,066 in federal loans per year. This is 24.9% smaller than the $9,404 freshmen take on.
Borrowing at that rate every year works out to about $14,132 by year two and around $28,264 over four years. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 0% |
| Average federal loan per year | $7,066 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 21 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $148,393 |
The middle borrower at West Valley College owes $7,000 in federal borrowing.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $7,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $7,500 |
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 West Valley College.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $1,750 |
| 25th percentile | $3,000 |
| 75th percentile | $6,125 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $12,500 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at West Valley College.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at West Valley College.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 233 | $20,451 |
| Completed (graduates) | 23 | $20,101 |
| Did not complete | 210 | $20,545 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $239.02/mo.
Stafford loans are the federal direct-loan program most undergraduates use. The breakdown below separates borrowers who used Stafford loans from those who did not at West Valley College.
Stafford vs Non-Stafford (any year)
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Used a Stafford loan | 222 | — |
| No Stafford loan | 11 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for West Valley College.
Defaulting means failing to repay a federal student loan, which carries serious credit consequences. Two-year cohort default-rate data for West Valley College follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 13.2% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 113 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
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 | $7,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $4,500 |
| Independent students | $9,500 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for West Valley College.
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
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.