Grant vs Loan Mix by Institution Type (2026 stats)
TL;DR
At the typical college, 34.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 26.8% take federal loans, in EDsmart Data's analysis of 5,497 College Scorecard institutions. The mix depends on the type of school: 66.5% of students borrow at for-profit 4-year colleges, versus 31.9% at public 4-year universities and just 6.8% at public community colleges.
Key Facts
- Students with Pell Grants: 34.5%
- Students with federal loans: 26.8%
- Borrowing at for-profit 4-year colleges: 66.5%
- Borrowing at public 4-year universities: 31.9%
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Share of students with Pell Grants vs federal loans, by type of college
Community college students get grants; for-profit students borrow
Our analysis finds public 2-year colleges have the most grant-heavy mix (31.5% Pell vs 6.8% borrowing), while for-profit 4-year colleges are the most loan-heavy (66.5% borrowing).
Share of undergraduates, enrollment-weighted median across institutions.
Grant vs loan mix by institution type
| Institution type | Pell Grant share | Federal loan share | Median debt at completion | Net price / yr | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public 4-year | 34.9% | 31.9% | $19,000 | $15,142 | 593 |
| Private nonprofit 4-year | 33.8% | 48.1% | $21,500 | $26,250 | 1,199 |
| Private for-profit 4-year | 58.1% | 66.5% | $26,090 | $17,860 | 143 |
| Public 2-year | 31.5% | 6.8% | $10,500 | $6,920 | 630 |
| Private nonprofit 2-year | 61.1% | 71.7% | $19,816 | $23,657 | 160 |
| Private for-profit 2-year | 60.0% | 69.4% | $20,000 | $25,717 | 177 |
| Public certificate school | 31.0% | 6.3% | $10,166 | $6,105 | 662 |
| Private nonprofit certificate school | 23.6% | 8.9% | $15,503 | $6,560 | 177 |
| Private for-profit certificate school | 65.4% | 63.4% | $9,833 | $25,474 | 1,756 |
Top 25 4-year colleges where students rely on grants, not loans
Bachelor's colleges with 1,000+ undergraduates where at least 40% receive Pell Grants, sorted by lowest borrowing rate. Colleges where almost no one borrows (under 2%) are left out, since most do not take part in federal loan programs.
| College | State | Type | Pell Grant share | Federal loan share | Net price / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. University of Puerto Rico-Humacao | PR | Public | 86.3% | 2.6% | $12,577 |
| 2. University of Puerto Rico-Carolina | PR | Public | 77.2% | 2.8% | $12,472 |
| 3. University of Puerto Rico | PR | Public | 88.3% | 3.5% | $9,644 |
| 4. University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo | PR | Public | 84.9% | 3.9% | $13,088 |
| 5. CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | Public | 58.0% | 4.5% | $2,818 |
| 6. University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | PR | Public | 84.0% | 6.0% | $7,564 |
| 7. CUNY Brooklyn College | NY | Public | 59.0% | 6.2% | $950 |
| 8. CUNY York College | NY | Public | 43.5% | 7.8% | $1,956 |
| 9. University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez | PR | Public | 66.9% | 7.9% | $14,997 |
| 10. University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | PR | Public | 87.5% | 8.0% | $10,710 |
| 11. CUNY Hunter College | NY | Public | 59.5% | 8.4% | $1,051 |
| 12. CUNY Queens College | NY | Public | 50.8% | 8.8% | $1,272 |
| 13. CUNY Medgar Evers College | NY | Public | 55.9% | 8.9% | $3,245 |
| 14. CUNY Lehman College | NY | Public | 62.5% | 9.7% | $541 |
| 15. University of Guam | GU | Public | 51.1% | 10.1% | $9,964 |
| 16. Berea College | KY | Private nonprofit | 84.0% | 10.2% | $5,836 |
| 17. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German | PR | Private nonprofit | 84.8% | 10.3% | $11,050 |
| 18. College of Staten Island CUNY | NY | Public | 52.2% | 10.4% | $3,153 |
| 19. CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | Public | 60.9% | 10.5% | $657 |
| 20. CUNY City College | NY | Public | 63.3% | 11.4% | $1,557 |
| 21. CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | Public | 42.9% | 11.5% | $4,766 |
| 22. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | PR | Private nonprofit | 85.6% | 12.3% | $9,252 |
| 23. Atlantic University | PR | Private nonprofit | 68.8% | 12.3% | $6,021 |
| 24. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo | PR | Private nonprofit | 82.2% | 12.5% | $9,597 |
| 25. Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon | PR | Private nonprofit | 83.1% | 12.8% | $9,597 |
Pell Grant vs federal loan rates by state
| State | Pell Grant share | Federal loan share | Grant minus loan (points) | Institutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico | 84.0% | 17.7% | 66.2 | 114 |
| California | 31.9% | 3.3% | 28.7 | 567 |
| New Mexico | 38.7% | 19.6% | 19.2 | 41 |
| Florida | 37.1% | 19.6% | 17.5 | 302 |
| Maryland | 35.4% | 19.5% | 15.9 | 73 |
| Utah | 35.0% | 21.2% | 13.9 | 57 |
| Alaska | 26.5% | 13.2% | 13.4 | 10 |
| Washington | 27.7% | 15.2% | 12.5 | 88 |
| Texas | 38.2% | 26.4% | 11.8 | 370 |
| Idaho | 23.6% | 12.0% | 11.6 | 34 |
| Georgia | 40.9% | 29.7% | 11.1 | 134 |
| West Virginia | 29.1% | 18.7% | 10.4 | 65 |
| Illinois | 35.7% | 25.4% | 10.3 | 199 |
| New York | 38.0% | 27.8% | 10.2 | 370 |
| Nevada | 33.4% | 23.2% | 10.2 | 36 |
| Wyoming | 28.0% | 19.3% | 8.7 | 11 |
| Tennessee | 37.1% | 30.1% | 7.0 | 130 |
| Mississippi | 41.2% | 35.3% | 5.9 | 50 |
| Louisiana | 40.8% | 35.4% | 5.4 | 104 |
| Arizona | 39.8% | 35.5% | 4.3 | 100 |
| Hawaii | 31.4% | 27.1% | 4.2 | 19 |
| Arkansas | 39.8% | 35.7% | 4.0 | 74 |
| Colorado | 30.2% | 27.7% | 2.5 | 74 |
| Missouri | 31.1% | 29.8% | 1.3 | 124 |
| North Carolina | 34.1% | 32.9% | 1.2 | 155 |
| Virginia | 34.5% | 33.4% | 1.0 | 130 |
| Kentucky | 34.5% | 34.2% | 0.4 | 81 |
| Oklahoma | 33.5% | 33.4% | 0.1 | 95 |
| Nebraska | 26.8% | 26.7% | 0.1 | 39 |
| Minnesota | 28.1% | 28.2% | -0.1 | 85 |
| New Jersey | 39.2% | 39.7% | -0.5 | 146 |
| Michigan | 35.6% | 37.0% | -1.4 | 150 |
| Oregon | 30.2% | 32.0% | -1.9 | 66 |
| Alabama | 33.3% | 35.3% | -2.0 | 72 |
| Connecticut | 42.0% | 44.2% | -2.2 | 49 |
| Maine | 30.6% | 33.2% | -2.6 | 32 |
| New Hampshire | 55.2% | 58.4% | -3.1 | 27 |
| Wisconsin | 23.8% | 27.2% | -3.4 | 78 |
| Indiana | 23.3% | 27.9% | -4.6 | 101 |
| Kansas | 25.8% | 30.5% | -4.8 | 74 |
| South Carolina | 31.7% | 39.1% | -7.4 | 83 |
| Ohio | 29.1% | 36.9% | -7.8 | 260 |
| Montana | 21.8% | 30.7% | -8.8 | 26 |
| Massachusetts | 26.9% | 38.4% | -11.5 | 127 |
| District of Columbia | 25.8% | 40.2% | -14.4 | 15 |
| Pennsylvania | 34.3% | 52.1% | -17.8 | 282 |
| North Dakota | 24.8% | 43.0% | -18.2 | 25 |
| Vermont | 19.1% | 37.5% | -18.5 | 12 |
| Iowa | 22.8% | 41.4% | -18.7 | 73 |
| Delaware | 28.7% | 50.7% | -22.0 | 15 |
| South Dakota | 20.4% | 43.8% | -23.5 | 24 |
| Rhode Island | 25.0% | 52.0% | -27.1 | 20 |
What the data shows
Where you enroll shapes how you pay. Community college students are the most likely to have their costs covered mainly by grants, because tuition is low enough that a Pell Grant covers much of it. Students at for-profit colleges, where prices are higher, borrow at the highest rates.
A high Pell share also signals a school that enrolls many lower-income students. Colleges that combine a high Pell share with a low borrowing rate, like those in our grant-heavy table, are doing the most to keep low-income students debt-free.
Methodology
Pell Grant share and federal loan share are College Scorecard's pell_grant_rate and federal_loan_rate: the share of undergraduates receiving each type of aid in the latest award year. Group figures are medians across institutions weighted by undergraduate enrollment, so a large community college counts more than a small one.
Institution type combines control (public, private nonprofit, for-profit) with predominant degree: 4-year (bachelor's), 2-year (associate), and certificate schools. Sectors with fewer than 10 institutions are omitted.
Frequently asked questions
What share of college students receive Pell Grants?
At the typical institution, 34.5% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, based on enrollment-weighted College Scorecard data.
What share of college students take out federal loans?
About 26.8% of undergraduates at the typical institution borrow federal student loans. The rate is highest at for-profit 4-year colleges (66.5%).
Do community college students borrow less?
Yes. At public 2-year colleges, 6.8% of students borrow, while 31.5% receive Pell Grants, the most grant-heavy mix of any sector.
Does this measure how much aid students get?
No. Scorecard reports the share of students receiving each type of aid, not dollar amounts. A school where many students get Pell can still leave them with large loan balances if its net price is high.
Data sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution and field-of-study files (latest release in our extract)