States With the Most Student Loan Debt
LendEDU's fifth annual Student Loan Debt by School by State Report found each state's average student loan debt per borrower figure for the Class of 2019.
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As the cost of college continues to grow, so too does student loan debt in the United States.
To capture the increasingly heavy burden that student loan debt places on so many young Americans, LendEDU has published its fifth annual Student Loan Debt by School by State Report.
The report looks at the most recent student loan debt figures for close to 500 colleges and universities and uses that data to compile statewide student debt numbers.
Borrowers in the Class of 2019 from the following 10 states had the most student loan debt on average. To jump to the full list, click here.
1. Connecticut
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $41,579
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 7.23%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 80%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: Southern Connecticut State University ($42,326)
2. New Hampshire
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $41,511
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 12.94%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 81%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: University of New Hampshire ($42,246)
3. Pennsylvania
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $38,521
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 8.48%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 64%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: Immaculata University ($55,126)
4. Delaware
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $37,447
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 9.67%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 59%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: University of Delaware ($37,447)
5. Maine
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $36,339
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 16.42%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 90%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: University of New England ($40,683)
6. North Dakota
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $33,318
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 24.12%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 65%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: North Dakota State University ($33,639)
7. Minnesota
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $33,168
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 3.94%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 72%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: University of Northwestern-St.Paul ($44,561)
8. Maryland
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $32,165
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 8.39%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 49%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: Morgan State University ($46,194)
9. South Carolina
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $31,902
- Year-Over-Year Increase: 3.37%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 74%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: Coastal Carolina University ($37,717)
10. New Jersey
- Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: $31,818
- Year-Over-Year Decrease: -5.28%
- Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt: 62%
- School With Highest Student Loan Debt Per Borrower: Stevens Institute of Technology ($37,900)
Complete State-by-State Rankings
Here’s what the average student loan debt statistics for the Class of 2019 looked like for each state with the exception of Rhode Island.
| Rank | State | Average Student Loan Debt Per Borrower | Percent Change From Class of 2018 | Proportion of 2019 Graduates With Student Loan Debt |
| 1 | Utah | $16,633 | -15.75% | 32% |
| 2 | New Mexico | $20,497 | -7.32% | 48% |
| 3 | Nevada | $22,418 | -0.81% | 48% |
| 4 | Florida | $22,953 | -6.94% | 46% |
| 5 | Wyoming | $23,444 | -4.21% | 46% |
| 6 | Arkansas | $23,798 | -10.43% | 59% |
| 7 | Louisiana | $23,855 | -13.21% | 51% |
| 8 | Hawaii | $23,914 | -2.40% | 43% |
| 9 | Nebraska | $24,266 | -7.47% | 58% |
| 10 | Texas | $24,655 | -9.83% | 51% |
| 11 | Arizona | $24,709 | 4.05% | 49% |
| 12 | California | $25,112 | 11.46% | 44% |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $25,737 | 1.94% | 47% |
| 14 | Idaho | $25,771 | -6.92% | 60% |
| 15 | Colorado | $26,111 | 4.93% | 55% |
| 16 | Washington | $26,207 | 10.71% | 59% |
| 17 | Oregon | $26,328 | -8.03% | 36% |
| 18 | Indiana | $26,641 | -8.73% | 43% |
| 19 | North Carolina | $26,866 | 2.82% | 57% |
| 20 | Montana | $27,154 | -3.16% | 52% |
| 21 | Kansas | $27,216 | 2.65% | 58% |
| 22 | Alaska | $27,852 | 25.71% | 45% |
| 23 | Iowa | $28,466 | -4.54% | 56% |
| 24 | Tennessee | $28,821 | 7.38% | 75% |
| 25 | Michigan | $28,895 | -8.79% | 58% |
| 26 | Illinois | $28,960 | -2.46% | 59% |
| 27 | New York | $29,209 | -7.34% | 54% |
| 28 | Kentucky | $29,523 | 3.81% | 55% |
| 29 | Missouri | $29,613 | 1.34% | 62% |
| 30 | Georgia | $29,783 | 1.93% | 59% |
| 31 | Ohio | $30,047 | 3.80% | 63% |
| 32 | Washington D.C. | $30,118 | -11.50% | 48% |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $30,600 | -1.45% | 72% |
| 34 | Virginia | $30,688 | 1.01% | 58% |
| 35 | South Dakota | $31,129 | -2.40% | 73% |
| 36 | Alabama | $31,174 | 5.45% | 47% |
| 37 | West Virginia | $31,317 | 3.33% | 63% |
| 38 | Mississippi | $31,485 | 1.77% | 53% |
| 39 | Massachusetts | $31,549 | -1.22% | 59% |
| 40 | Vermont | $31,619 | 0.60% | 58% |
| 41 | New Jersey | $31,818 | -5.28% | 62% |
| 42 | South Carolina | $31,902 | 3.37% | 74% |
| 43 | Maryland | $32,165 | 8.39% | 49% |
| 44 | Minnesota | $33,168 | 3.94% | 72% |
| 45 | North Dakota | $33,318 | 24.12% | 65% |
| 46 | Maine | $36,339 | 16.42% | 90% |
| 47 | Delaware | $37,447 | 9.67% | 59% |
| 48 | Pennsylvania | $38,521 | 8.48% | 64% |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $41,511 | 12.94% | 81% |
| 50 | Connecticut | $41,579 | 7.23% | 80% |
Click here to see the full report and methodology at LendEDU.
See more of LendEDU’s Research here.
