by our College Data Analytics TeamThis page focuses on the debt students take on to attend Wheeling University, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Wheeling University, 67% of first-year students take on loan debt, for an average of $9,313 apiece. This figure includes both private and federally funded student loans.
Federal loans alone average $5,811. This meets or exceeds the $5,500 cap on first-year federal borrowing 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 Wheeling University, 63% finance part of their studies with federal loans, averaging $6,728 in federal loans per year. It comes to 15.8% larger than the freshman federal average of $5,811.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $13,456 over two years and about $26,912 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 | 63% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,728 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 382 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,569,924 |
The middle borrower at Wheeling University owes $15,375 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $15,375 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $25,125 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,250 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.
Looking only at the median is misleading — these four percentiles describe the full debt distribution for borrowers at Wheeling University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,821 |
| 25th percentile | $7,500 |
| 75th percentile | $27,055 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $33,000 |
The spread between the lowest- and highest-debt deciles summarizes how variable outcomes are at Wheeling University.
The figures above count only the students own federal loans. Adding PLUS loans (borrowed by parents or graduate students) gives a fuller picture of total borrowing at Wheeling University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 138 | $12,887 |
| Completed (graduates) | 33 | $14,847 |
| Did not complete | 105 | $12,200 |
Completers face an estimated standard 10-year monthly payment on their PLUS-inclusive debt of roughly $176.55/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Wheeling University.
Current-Year Stafford Borrowers
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 125 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 13 | — |
These figures turn the debt totals into a monthly repayment picture for Wheeling 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 official Department of Education two-year default rate for Wheeling University follows.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 4.5% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 462 |
A lower default rate generally signals that graduates earn enough to manage their loan payments.
Borrowing varies by family income, by first-generation status, and by dependency status.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $11,000 |
| Middle income | $17,250 |
| High income | $17,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,200 |
| Continuing-generation students | $15,812 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $15,000 |
| Independent students | $18,010 |
Federal data publishes the following gap measures for Wheeling University.
Subsidized and 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.
Worth Knowing
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.