Students must be able to afford college without risky levels or types of debt, to enroll and complete a degree. Since 2005, our Project on Student Debt has worked to reduce the burden of student loan debt and increase public understanding of debt and its implications for families, the economy, and society.
Student Debt and the Class of 2020
Our sixteenth annual report on debt for bachelor’s degree graduates of public and nonprofit colleges finds vast variation in debt levels across states as well as colleges.
Average student debt at graduation in 2020 ranged from $18,350 in Utah to $39,950 in New Hampshire, and new graduates’ likelihood of having debt varied from 39 percent in Utah to 73 percent in South Dakota. In nineteen states, average debt was more than $30,000, and it was over $35,000 in six states.
