Cohort default rate
What is a cohort default rate?
For schools having 30 or more borrowers entering repayment in a fiscal year, the school’s cohort default rate (CDR) is the percentage of a school’s borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) and/or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (Direct Loans) during that fiscal year and default within the cohort default period.
The phrase “cohort default period” refers to the three-year period that begins on October 1 of the fiscal year when the borrower enters repayment and ends on September 30th of the second fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the borrower entered repayment. This is the period during which a borrower’s default affects the school’s cohort default rate.
Cohort default rates are based on federal fiscal years. Federal fiscal years begin October 1 of a calendar year and end on September 30th of the following calendar year. Each federal fiscal year refers to the calendar year in which it ends.
PCC’s most recent CDRs
- FY 2018: 12.5
- FY 2017: 16.3
- FY 2016: 18.2
For more information
Please refer to the Department of Education’s Cohort Default Rate Guide for a more in-depth description of cohort default rates and how the rates are calculated.