by our College Data Analytics TeamHow does student loan debt and default rates at Merrimack College compare to the national average, and how could this impact your future? Scroll down the page for answers.
At Merrimack College, 76.0% of incoming students take out a loan to help defray freshman year costs, averaging $12,907 a piece. This amount includes both private and federally-funded student loans.
The average federal loan is $5,479, which is 99.6% of the first-year borrowing cap of $5,500* for the typical first-year dependent student.
Unlike the data shown for freshmen, average undergraduate student loan amounts do not include private loans. In addition to unreported parent loans, this can increase the average amount borrowed significantly.
67.0% of all undergraduate students (including freshmen) at Merrimack College utilize federal student loans to help pay for their college education, averaging $6,473 per year. This amount is 18.1% higher than the $5,479 amount borrowed by freshmen. The fact that returning students borrow more than freshmen could indicate that the school front-loads financial aid packages, offering more aid to new students while expecting returning students to take on larger loans to continue their education.
Borrowing the average amount will result in loans of $12,946 after two years and $25,892 after four.
These numbers are based on borrowing the same amount each year and do not include any loans where the parent is the borrower, even though Parent PLUS loans are frequently included in financial aid packages.
Were you surprised by how much you are projected to owe by the time you graduate? Remember this is an average: some students will borrow more than this.
Is the debt worth it? Research return on investment.
Loan default rates can indicate how well Merrimack College is helping students afford to attend college without undue reliance on loans, particularly unsubsidized loans. It can also indicate future earnings and career potential. Pay close attention to this statistic. You don't want to take out loans you can't pay back.
A total of 694 Merrimack College students entered loan repayment in 2017. After three years, 3.7% of these students (26 out of 694) defaulted on their loans. The lower the default rate, the better!
The chart below compares this college to the average 3-year default rate calculated across all of the 4-year schools we have data for.
What does the default rate mean?
A student is considered to be in default on a student loan if they have not made a payment in more than 270 days. The official student loan default rate for a school is calculated by measuring how many students are in default three years after graduation. Note that the default rate only takes into account federal loans, not private.
When compared to the average three-year default rate of 9.3%, the default rate at Merrimack College is very good. This could be an indication that the college is working to meet the financial needs of students in such a way that reliance on student loans, particularly unsubsidized loans, is minimized for the majority of students.
Declaring bankruptcy does not remove student loan debt owed to the Federal government. They can garnish part of your income if you do not pay back your loans.
What's the difference? Unsubsidized student loans accrue interest each month, even while you are in college. Unless you pay that interest each month, what you owe after graduation might surprise you.