After Sterling College: graduation, pay and debt

Craftsbury Common, Vermont · Private · 50 undergrads

33% of Sterling College students finish within six years, the typical student earns $38,978 ten years after starting and graduates leave with $14,000 in federal loans at the median.

The short answers

$39k

median pay 10 years after starting college.

33%

finish within six years.

25%

finish in four years.

86%

of first-years come back for year two.

$14k

median federal debt at graduation.

74%

of borrowers were paying down their loans three years after leaving.

All the federal numbers

Finishing

Finished in four yearsCollege Scorecard, 2017 entry

25%

Finished within six yearsCollege Scorecard, 2019 entry

33%

First-years who came back for year twoCollege Scorecard, fall 2024

86%

Transferred to another collegeCollege Scorecard, earlier release

7.1%

Pay after college

Median pay 6 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard

$30,858

Median pay 10 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard, 2022-23

$38,978

Pay is for students who got federal aid and are working, counted from the year they started college, whether or not they finished.

Debt and paying it back

Median federal debt, students who graduatedCollege Scorecard, 2024-25

$14,000

Median federal debt, everyone who borrowed (finished or not)College Scorecard, earlier release

$13,625

Paying down their loans 3 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, 2024-25

74%

Paying down their loans 5 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, earlier release

79%

Paying down their loans 7 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, earlier release

76%

Defaulted on their loans within 3 yearsCollege Scorecard, earlier release

0.9%

Federal student loans only. Private loans and Parent PLUS loans aren't counted.

Where these numbers come from

Admit rate and applicants: IPEDS, fall 2024 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard, 2024-25 (checked Oct 31, 2026)

Updated Oct 31, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers