Walden University Retains One of the Lowest Student Loan Default Rates Among U.S. Universities

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- According to data released by the U.S. Department of Education this week, Walden University's two-year cohort default rate of 1.5 percent in 2008 is significantly lower than the 7 percent national average for student loan default rate. This latest data remains consistent with Walden's record for having one of the lowest student loan default rates among all universities in the United States, including a 1.7 percent rate in 2007.

The most recent default rate data represents the cohort of borrowers whose first loan repayments were due between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008, and who defaulted before Sept. 30, 2009. The data was collected from 5,860 participating institutions.

Because of Walden's low loan default rate over a three-year period (2005–2007) among proprietary schools, the university was placed on the Student Lending Analytics' Default Prevention Honor Roll. Student Lending Analytics, an independent research and advisory firm focused on finding the best lenders for students, developed the honor roll to recognize two-year and four-year public, private, proprietary and graduate institutions with the lowest average cohort default rates over a period of three consecutive years.

Walden University has long been a leader in providing graduate degrees to working professionals so they can achieve career advancement and make a real difference in their communities. For example, Walden's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership, named in honor of Richard W. Riley, former U.S. Secretary of Education and a leading advocate for improving education for every American child, is committed to increasing teacher effectiveness and student achievement by advancing teacher quality and leadership in the classroom.

For more information on Walden, visit www.WaldenU.edu.

About Walden University

For 40 years, Walden University has supported working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and their communities. Today, more than 42,500 students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries are pursuing their bachelor's, master's or doctoral degrees at Walden. The university provides students with an engaging educational experience that connects them with expert faculty and peers around the world. Walden is the flagship online university in the Laureate International Universities network—a global network of more than 50 online and campus-based universities in 24 countries.

Walden offers more than 45 degree programs with more than 195 specializations and concentrations. Areas of study include health sciences, counseling, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, public administration, technology and engineering. For more information, visit www.WaldenU.edu. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org.

SOURCE Walden University