Welcome back to the PNPI Explorer blog series, where we examine higher education data in different states. This week’s spotlight is on Illinois.

In 2021 in Illinois, there were 146 institutions serving 469,901 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. Using the Explorer’s Federal Student Debt report, we can examine student loan borrowing patterns for undergraduate and graduate students at Illinois institutions. In particular, we can see that 20.4% of graduate students at private non-profit institutions in Illinois borrowed a Grad PLUS loan, compared to 10.8% of graduate students at public four-year institutions. Additionally, 36.9% of graduate students across all institutional sectors borrowed graduate unsubsidized Direct Loans.

Using the Explorer’s Comparison Tool, we can see how these rates compare against other states. Across all institutional sectors, 16.5% of Illinois graduate students borrowed Grad PLUS loans, which is more than two percentage points higher than the national average. This rate puts Illinois in the top quartile of borrowing rates for Grad PLUS loans.

We can also use the Comparison Tool to examine if these borrowing rates correlate to adverse repayment outcomes for students at Illinois institutions. Looking at the average 3-year Cohort Default Rate (CDR), we see that Illinois institutions actually fare quite well. In Illinois, the average CDR is 7.8%, compared to nearly 10% nationally, making Illinois in the bottom quartile for default rates.

Find something interesting about Illinois that you would like to share with us? Drop us a note via our feedback page or discuss your findings on LinkedIn! Check back next week when we explore data insights about Indiana.

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