by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Western New Mexico 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.
Looking at the entering class at Western New Mexico University, 24% of first-year students take on loan debt, averaging $6,119 per student, private and federal loans combined.
The average federally funded loan is $5,257, equal to roughly 95.6% 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.
Across the full undergraduate body at Western New Mexico University (freshmen included), 29% finance part of their studies with federal loans, with a mean of $6,236 each per year. That amounts to 18.6% larger than the freshman federal average of $5,257.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $12,472 in two years and roughly $24,944 by the fourth year. These projections assume the same federal borrowing each year and exclude private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 29% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,236 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 560 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,492,002 |
The middle borrower at Western New Mexico University owes $12,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,500 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $23,000 |
| Students who withdrew | $8,750 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
The median hides the spread, so the percentiles below show cumulative federal debt at four points in the distribution for Western New Mexico University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $2,750 |
| 25th percentile | $4,750 |
| 75th percentile | $23,104 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $36,500 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Western New Mexico University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Western New Mexico University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 153 | $11,215 |
| Completed (graduates) | 58 | $11,141 |
| Did not complete | 95 | $11,215 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $132.48/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Western New Mexico University.
Borrowers With a Stafford Loan This Year
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 119 | $11,245 |
| No Stafford loan this year | 34 | $9,905 |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Western New Mexico University.
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 Western New Mexico University is shown below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 19.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 574 |
This rate follows a borrower cohort from the start of repayment through the two-year window the Department of Education uses.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
Borrowing by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $13,973 |
| Middle income | $11,000 |
| High income | $11,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Borrowing
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $10,800 |
| Independent students | $15,250 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Western New Mexico 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
Federal student loans are not discharged in bankruptcy in all but the rarest cases, and the government can withhold part of your income or tax refund if you default.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.