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This page provides background and links about cohort default rates for reporters, policymakers, and the general public.

Colleges’ “cohort default rates” (CDRs) measure the share of their federal student loan borrowers who default within a specified period of time after entering repayment. Colleges with high CDRs may lose future eligibility for federal grants and loans. The most recent CDRs, released September 2021, are for borrowers who entered repayment in federal fiscal year 2018 (FY18) and defaulted in FY18, FY19, or FY20.

A student defaults on a federal loan after at least 270 days (nine months) of non-payment. Defaulting on a loan has several serious consequences, including adding significantly to the cost of a loan and ruining the borrower’s credit score. For colleges, defaulted loans are not generally counted in their cohort default rate until they are 360 days (nearly one year) overdue, leaving a gap of up to 90 days between when borrowers and colleges may first experience the consequences of default.

Most Recent Available CDRs

From TICAS

From the U.S. Department of Education

CDR Tools & Resources

From TICAS

  • TICAS Letter to Chairman Bobby Scott, Ranking Member Virginia Foxx, and Members of the Committee  (April 2019) 
    TICAS’ recommendations for how to hold colleges accountable for routinely leaving students with debts they cannot afford to repay. 
  • CDR: What is it Good For? Absolutely Something. (January 2018) 
    A Primer on the Value of the Cohort Default Rate, its Shortcomings, and Solutions 
  • TICAS Participation Rate Index (PRI) Worksheet (June 2016) 
    This tool helps colleges with low borrowing rates understand whether they may qualify for exemptions from CDR sanctions, based on FY 2013 3-Year CDRs. [Excel download, Microsoft 2007 or newer] 
  • Recommendations to Curb CDR Manipulation (September 2015) 
    Comments in response to Federal Register notice soliciting input on topics to be included in the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking. Recommendations to prevent CDR manipulation are on pages 10-17, and recommendations to provide equity to any borrowers whose defaults are removed from colleges’ CDRs are on pages 17-18. 
  • TICAS Recommendations to Curb CDR Manipulation and Improve Participation Rate Index Appeals  (October 2014) 
    Comments in response to the Federal Register notice soliciting input on topics to be included in the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking. Key recommendations include: preventing cohort default rate manipulation (pages 12-17); and increasing the efficacy of Participation Rate Index appeals by colleges with low borrowing rates (pages 18-19). 
  • Protecting Colleges And Students: Community College Strategies to Prevent Default (July 2014) 
    Protecting Colleges and Students, released by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) and The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS), takes a unique look at student loan default at nine community colleges across the nation, and how those colleges are working to help students avoid default. 
  • Recommendations to Curb CDR Manipulation (June 2013) 
    TICAS comments on CDR manipulation and what the Department can and should do to curb CDR manipulation on pages 14-19 of these comments on topics for negotiated rulemaking. 
  • TICAS Memo on CDR Manipulation (August 2012) 
    Memo identifying steps the US Department of Education can and should take to prevent colleges from evading basic accountability measures designed to protect both students and taxpayers. 
  • TICAS Letter on Importance of Borrowing Rates (August 2012) 
    Letter urging the Department of Education to provide the share of students borrowing alongside colleges’ default rates. 

From the U.S. Department of Education

  • To put CDRs in context, look up a college on collegenavigator.gov to see what share of its undergraduates take out student loans (under the Financial Aid heading). When many or most students at a college borrow, CDRs are particularly useful measures of accountability and quality. However, when based on a very small number or share of students, CDRs say less about the college as a whole.

Past CDR Resources by Cohort Year

Cohort Year 3-Year CDRs
FY16TICAS Press Release: Official CDRs (Sep 19)

Sortable CDR Spreadsheet (Sep 19)

Ed Dept News Release (Sep 19)

Ed Dept CDR Materials (Sep 19)
FY15 TICAS Press Release: Official CDRs (Sep 18)

Sortable CDR Spreadsheet (Sep 18)

Ed Dept News Release (Sep 18)

Ed Dept CDR Materials (Sep 18)
FY14TICAS Press Release: Official CDRs (Sep 17)

Sortable CDR Spreadsheet (Sep 17)

Ed Dept News Release (Sep 17)

Ed Dept CDR Materials (Sep 17)