by our College Data Analytics TeamHere you will find what students actually borrow to attend Wilberforce University— how much they borrow, how that debt is spread across the student body, and what it costs to pay back. These figures are reported by the Department of Education and IPEDS.
Among first-year students at Wilberforce University, 99% of freshmen borrow to help pay for their first year, for an average of $5,546 per student, private and federal loans combined.
On the federal side, the average loan is $5,546. That sits at or beyond the $5,500 first-year federal limit for a typical dependent student. Be aware: the undergraduate-wide averages below exclude private loans, while this freshman number includes them.
Looking at all undergraduates at Wilberforce University, freshmen included, 97% rely on federal student loans toward their education, averaging $5,725 annually. It comes to 3.2% higher than the first-year federal average of $5,546.
Borrowing the same amount each year would add up to roughly $11,450 across two years and $22,900 across a four-year program. This projection keeps yearly federal borrowing flat and excludes private and Parent PLUS loans.
| Undergraduate federal borrowing | Value |
|---|---|
| Share using federal loans | 97% |
| Average federal loan per year | $5,725 |
| Undergraduates with a federal loan | 586 |
| Total federal loans (one year) | $3,355,053 |
The middle borrower at Wilberforce University owes $12,000 of cumulative federal debt.
| Borrower group | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| All federal borrowers | $12,000 |
| Students who completed (graduates) | $26,468 |
| Students who withdrew | $9,500 |
Withdrawn-student debt matters because those borrowers carry the loans without the degree that helps repay them.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 Wilberforce University.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $5,500 |
| 75th percentile | $22,367 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $45,612 |
The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile is the clearest single measure of how widely borrowing varies at Wilberforce University.
Median federal debt understates the full cost when PLUS loans are included. The totals below add PLUS borrowing for Wilberforce University.
| Group | Borrowers | Median debt incl. PLUS |
|---|---|---|
| All borrowers | 120 | $8,868 |
| Completed (graduates) | 46 | $10,290 |
| Did not complete | 74 | $7,850 |
On a standard 10-year plan, the median completing borrower would pay about $122.36/mo.
The indicators below describe what the typical debt costs to pay back at Wilberforce University.
The default rate measures how many borrowers fall behind and ultimately fail to repay their federal loans. Two-year cohort default-rate data for Wilberforce University appears below.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| 2-year cohort default rate | 11.8% |
| Borrowers in the cohort | 287 |
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.
Median Debt by Income Bracket
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,300 |
| Middle income | $14,750 |
| High income | $17,911 |
First-Generation Comparison
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,001 |
| Continuing-generation students | $11,000 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $11,000 |
| Independent students | $16,500 |
These pre-calculated indicators summarize the borrowing gaps between cohorts at Wilberforce University.
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.
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.