Student loans remain a crushing burden for plenty of college students and graduates. According to a LendEDU analysis of loan data from more than 1,000 schools, the problem just keeps getting worse: The average Class of 2018 borrower’s debt rose to $28,565 in 2018, up from $28,288 in 2017. Moreover, borrowers in 38 states saw an uptick last year, especially in Connecticut, where 2018 grads’ debt burden grew a whopping 22.5%. Wondering where your state ranks? Read on to find out.
Editor’s note: This story has been revised since publication.
Related: The Cost of College Around the World
51. Utah
Average debt per borrower: $19,742 Percent change since 2017: 7.15% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 36%
Utah boasts seven schools among the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower, according to LendEDU’s analysis, including its best performer, Brigham Young University. Students there graduated with an average of only $15,701 in debt in 2018.
50. New Mexico
Average debt per borrower: $22,115 Percent change since 2017: 1.42% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 52%
New Mexico has two schools among the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower, including New Mexico Highlands University. Students there graduated with an average of only $18,767 in debt in 2018. However, students at St. John’s College were among the nation’s most burdened, graduating with an average of $44,989 in debt.
49. Alaska
Average debt per borrower: $22,155 Percent change since 2017: -12.6% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 38%
Alaska’s only school to stand out in LendEDU’s analysis was the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, which was among the top 250 schools for lowest average debt per student borrower. Students there graduated with an average of $22,155 in debt in 2018.
48. California
Average debt per borrower: $22,530 Percent change since 2017: 0.66% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 49%
California has a staggering 33 schools among the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower. The best performer: San Francisco State, where students graduated with an average of only $6,069 in debt in 2018. However, California also had a half-dozen schools among those with the highest debt.
47. Nevada
Nevada’s only school to stand out was the University of Nevada, Reno, which was among the top 250 schools for lowest average debt per student borrower. Students there graduated with an average of $22,600 in debt in 2018.
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46. Washington
Average debt per borrower: $23,671 Percent change since 2017: 1.34% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 50%
Washington counts eight schools among the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower, including University of Washington, Tacoma. Students there graduated with an average of only $15,601 in debt in 2018.
45. Arizona
Arizona’s only school to stand out was Northern Arizona University, which was among the top 250 schools for lowest average debt per student borrower. Students there graduated with an average of $23,685 in debt in 2018.
44. Wyoming
Wyoming’s only school to stand out was the University of Wyoming, which was among the top 250 schools for lowest average debt per student borrower. Students there graduated with an average of $24,474 in debt in 2018.
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43. Hawaii
Two Hawaii schools make the top 250 for lowest average student debt: Chaminade University of Honolulu, where students graduated in 2018 with an average of $23,933 in debt, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa, where the number was $24,593.
42. Florida
Florida has nine schools among the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower, including the New College of Florida. Students there graduated with an average of only $17,466 in debt in 2018. It also has six schools in the top 250 for highest average debt, however. Atop that list: Ringling College of Art and Design, where students graduated with an average of $41,746 in debt.
41. Colorado
40. Oklahoma
39. North Carolina
38. Nebraska
37. Kansas
36. Arkansas
35. Tennessee
34. North Dakota
33. Texas
32. Louisiana
31. Idaho
30. Montana
29. Kentucky
28. Oregon
27. Ohio
26. Indiana
25. Georgia
24. Missouri
23. Alabama
22. Maryland
21. Illinois
20. Iowa
19. West Virginia
18. Virginia
17. South Carolina
16. Mississippi
15. Wisconsin
14. Maine
13. Vermont
12. New York
11. Michigan
10. South Dakota
Average debt per borrower: $31,893
Percent change since 2017: 1.79% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 72%None of South Dakota’s schools are in the top 250 for lowest student debt, but it does have two schools in the top 250 for highest debt: Mount Marty College, where 2018 grads averaged $38,026 in debt; and Augustana University, where the number was $38,588.
9. Minnesota
While three Minnesota schools are among the top 250 for lowest debt load per graduate (Carleton College’s 2018 grads had an average $21,020 debt) the state has 11 schools among the top 250 for highest debt, too. Students at The College of St. Scholastica graduated with an average $42,183 in debt in 2018.
8. Massachusetts
Thirteen Massachusetts schools are in the top 250 for lowest debt load per graduate, including leader Harvard University. Students there graduated owing an average $13,372 in 2018. But it also has 17 schools in the top 250 for highest debt. Worst among them is Western New England University, where students graduated with an average $46,591 in debt.
7. New Jersey
Average debt per borrower: $33,593 Percent change since 2017: 9.09% Graduates with student-loan debt, 2018: 64%
Lucky Princeton University students graduated with an average of just $9,059 in debt in 2018. But New Jersey also claims eight of the nation’s top 250 schools for highest debt.
6. Washington, D.C.
Georgetown University landed in the top 250 for least in-debt graduates, with grads averaging $25,726 in debt in 2018. But Catholic University of America was among the highest-debt schools, with graduates shouldering an average of $46,437 in debt.
5. Delaware
While none of Delaware’s schools made the top 250 for most or least in-debt graduates, the University of Delaware is among the top 150 highest-debt public schools. Students there graduated with an average of $34,144 in debt in 2018.
4. Pennsylvania
While Pennsylvania has six schools in the top 250 for lowest average debt (Haverford College checks in at just $11,000 in average debt per 2018 graduate) it has a staggering 54 schools in the top 250 for highest debt load. The most burdened students graduated from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania with an average of $52,243 in debt.
3. Rhode Island
None of Rhode Island’s schools made the top 250 for lowest average debt per student borrower. It did have three schools among the top 250 for the highest average debt, including Bryant University, No. 2 on the list overall. Students there graduated with a painful average $54,067 in debt in 2018.
2. New Hampshire
New Hampshire has six schools among the top 250 for highest average debt per borrower, including Franklin Pierce University, where the average debt load was $41,661 for 2018 graduates. Two schools were in the top 250 for lowest average debt per borrower, including Dartmouth College. Students there graduated with an average of $18,903 in debt.
1. Connecticut
Connecticut claims seven schools among the top 250 for highest average debt per borrower, including the University of New Haven, where the average debt load was $48,673 for 2018 graduates. Three schools were in the top 250 for lowest average debt per borrower, including Yale University. Students there graduated with an average of just $14,575 in debt.
