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Digest of Education Statistics
2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 331.95. Percentage of undergraduate degree/certificate completers who ever received federal loans and parent PLUS loans and average cumulative loan amount, by degree level, selected student characteristics, and institution control: 2017-18
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
Degree level, selected
student characteristic, and
institution control
Federal loans
to students
Parent PLUS
Loans1
1 2 3
  Percent of completers who ever received loans
Total, all completers 51.8   (0.72) 9.7   (0.33)

Certificate below associate's level
53.1   (2.64) 7.6   (1.09)
Sex            
Male 37.1   (3.42) 7.6   (2.02)
Female 63.2   (3.14) 7.6   (1.24)
Institution control            
Public 26.8   (1.88) 2.2   (0.35)
Private nonprofit 57.9   (15.56) 16.9 ! (5.38)
Private for-profit 77.8   (3.94) 12.0   (2.05)

Associate's degree
36.9   (1.53) 3.6   (0.39)
Sex            
Male 28.6   (1.41) 3.1   (0.67)
Female 42.6   (1.91) 3.9   (0.56)
Race/ethnicity            
White 38.0   (1.74) 4.2   (0.58)
Black 54.3   (3.03) 4.2 ! (1.68)
Hispanic 33.9   (2.90) 2.1 ! (0.87)
Asian 18.8   (3.86) 2.5 ! (1.23)
Pacific Islander 37.9 ! (15.66)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 27.3   (6.41)   (†)
Two or more races 31.6   (5.36) 2.3 ! (0.85)
Dependency status            
Dependent 23.6   (1.76) 4.1   (0.78)
Independent 48.9   (1.74) 3.1   (0.46)
Institution control            
Public 28.0   (0.91) 2.3   (0.21)
Private nonprofit 69.3   (4.78) 11.4   (3.05)
Private for-profit 91.1   (1.64) 9.2 ! (3.10)

Bachelor's degree
57.4   (0.84) 12.6   (0.49)
Sex            
Male 52.2   (1.08) 12.3   (0.65)
Female 61.4   (1.05) 12.9   (0.74)
Race/ethnicity            
White 57.2   (0.81) 12.8   (0.52)
Black 76.1   (2.02) 19.4   (1.71)
Hispanic 63.8   (2.75) 12.0   (1.52)
Asian 38.3   (2.64) 7.5   (1.24)
Pacific Islander 41.3   (11.12)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 62.1   (7.76) 10.1   (3.01)
Two or more races 55.1   (3.11) 12.5   (3.09)
Dependency status            
Dependent 52.0   (0.90) 15.3   (0.67)
Independent 66.6   (1.37) 8.1   (0.67)
Institution control            
Public 54.5   (0.91) 12.0   (0.54)
Private nonprofit 60.5   (1.33) 14.9   (0.92)
Private for-profit 74.0   (7.09) 8.7 ! (2.83)
  Average cumulative loan amount for students with loans (current dollars)2
Total, all completers $23,020   (296) $30,860   (1,200)

Certificate below associate's level
$13,900   (702) $14,810   (3,332)
Sex            
Male $12,980   (887) $20,940 ! (6,615)
Female 14,240   (830) 11,000   (1,729)
Institution control            
Public 12,880   (698) 11,800   (1,561)
Private nonprofit 16,260   (2,791)   (†)
Private for-profit 14,080   (961) 15,880   (4,377)

Associate's degree
19,270   (573) 17,250   (1,902)
Sex            
Male 16,440   (654) 15,250   (1,846)
Female 20,540   (716) 18,330   (2,410)
Race/ethnicity            
White 17,850   (573) 18,080   (2,770)
Black 22,550   (1,419) 15,290   (2,924)
Hispanic 21,240   (2,042) 13,130   (1,924)
Asian 21,260   (3,619)   (†)
Pacific Islander   (†)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 19,310   (2,904)   (†)
Two or more races 13,830   (2,177)   (†)
Dependency status            
Dependent 12,610   (767) 21,470   (2,612)
Independent 22,160   (706) 12,130   (1,176)
Institution control            
Public 15,840   (446) 13,660   (1,500)
Private nonprofit 25,750   (1,851) 22,320   (5,339)
Private for-profit 25,090   (1,768) 21,230   (5,108)

Bachelor's degree
26,190   (364) 34,930   (1,355)
Sex            
Male 25,530   (460) 35,640   (1,840)
Female 26,620   (453) 34,420   (1,827)
Race/ethnicity            
White 25,920   (394) 36,350   (1,397)
Black 32,530   (892) 28,350   (3,314)
Hispanic 24,050   (905) 30,320   (3,065)
Asian 23,080   (1,049) 43,110   (10,698)
Pacific Islander 23,050   (4,330)   (†)
American Indian/Alaska Native 25,600   (2,483)   (†)
Two or more races 24,040   (1,418) 38,750   (7,290)
Dependency status            
Dependent 22,370   (293) 39,310   (1,614)
Independent 31,260   (674) 20,830   (1,790)
Institution control            
Public 24,650   (352) 30,510   (1,337)
Private nonprofit 27,340   (547) 44,550   (2,853)
Private for-profit 33,620   (2,085) 22,850   (3,335)
†Not applicable.
!Interpret data with caution. The coefficient of variation (CV) for this estimate is between 30 and 50 percent.
‡Reporting standards not met. Either there are too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation (CV) is 50 percent or greater.
1 Parent PLUS Loans are taken out by parents of dependent students and are used toward the students' undergraduate education. Parent PLUS Loans were available through both the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) until FFELP was discontinued in 2010. Since then, Parent PLUS Loans have been referred to as Direct PLUS Loans.
2 Average loan amounts were calculated only for students who took out each type of loan (or whose parents took out a PLUS Loan on their behalf).
NOTE: Data in this table represent the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, Administrative Collection (NPSAS:18-AC) is based solely on data collected from administrative sources and, unlike prior NPSAS studies, does not include student survey data. Caution should be used when comparing NPSAS:18-AC to prior NPSAS studies. Race categories exclude persons of Hispanic ethnicity.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2017-18 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, Administrative Collection (NPSAS:18-AC). (This table was prepared February 2022.)

2021 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest