by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Whittier College, including completion-adjusted borrowing and a standard repayment estimate. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Looking at the entering class at Whittier, 63% of new students use loans toward freshman-year expenses, averaging $7,357 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,234, equal to roughly 95.2% of the $5,500 federal limit that applies to a typical first-year dependent borrower. Keep in mind the all-undergraduate averages further down count federal loans only, unlike this private-plus-federal freshman figure.
For undergraduates overall at Whittier, 54% finance part of their studies with federal loans, borrowing on average $6,635 per year. This works out to 26.8% higher than the freshman federal average of $5,234.
Carrying that yearly figure forward comes to roughly $13,270 by year two and around $26,540 by the fourth year. The estimate holds federal borrowing constant and does not count private or Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 54% |
| Average federal loan per year | $6,635 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 437 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $2,899,509 |
The median student at Whittier borrows $18,125 in federal student loans.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $18,125 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $24,937 |
| Students who withdrew | $6,500 |
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 Whittier.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,998 |
| 25th percentile | $8,053 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $31,000 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Whittier.
PLUS loans — taken out by parents or graduate students — add to the total cost of attendance financed by debt at Whittier.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 249 | $32,000 |
| Completed (graduates) | 156 | $36,148 |
| Did not complete | 93 | $25,139 |
For students who completed, the median total debt including PLUS loans works out to a standard 10-year payment of about $429.84/mo.
The split below distinguishes Stafford borrowers from non-Stafford borrowers at Whittier.
Stafford This Year vs Not
| Cohort | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| Stafford loan this year | 235 | — |
| No Stafford loan this year | 14 | — |
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Whittier.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. The official Department of Education two-year default rate for Whittier appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 3.7% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 591 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $18,000 |
| Middle income | $18,767 |
| High income | $17,750 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $18,750 |
| Continuing-generation students | $17,125 |
Dependent vs Independent Borrowers
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,998 |
| Independent students | $20,000 |
The Department of Education computes gap indicators that show how borrowing differs between student groups at Whittier.
The Difference Between 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
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.