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Student Loan Debt By State

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Student loan debt sits at $1.6 trillion as of the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the Federal Reserve. Though student loan repayments are still paused for those with government-held federal loans, that figure has a massive impact on borrowers nationwide.

“The end of the emergency repayment pause will be enormous,” LendingTree student loan expert Michael Kitchen says. “No one with federally-held student loans — nearly 93% of all U.S. student loan debt — has been required to pay a dime since March 2020. While we still don’t know if the administration’s massive student loan forgiveness plan (up to $20,000 per borrower) will survive its Supreme Court review, there will still be people with student debt burdens.”

Given that, how does student debt vary by state — and where are borrowers most delinquent? Keep reading to find out.

Key findings

Borrowers owe an average of $43,570 in federal and private student loan debt. The median student debt among borrowers is $24,109.
District of Columbia borrowers have the highest average student loan debt. D.C. borrowers owe an average of $60,037 in federal and private student loan debt, ahead of Maryland ($53,141) and Georgia ($50,390). Wyoming borrowers have the lowest average student loan debt at $29,809, below West Virginia ($33,856) and South Dakota ($34,052).
California borrowers owe the largest amount of student debt at $151.9 billion. Texas ($124.1 billion) and Florida ($102.3 billion) follow. The lowest federal and private student loan debt totals are in Wyoming ($1.8 billion), Alaska ($2.1 billion) and Vermont ($3.3 billion).
18.3% of residents in the District of Columbia have student loan debt — the highest across the U.S. New Hampshire (16.0%) and Minnesota (15.9%) follow. The states with the lowest rate of residents with federal and private student loan debt are Hawaii (8.5%), Alaska (9.6%) and Wyoming (10.0%).
25.1% of student loan borrowers in Massachusetts owe $20,000 to $40,000 — the highest across the U.S. in this range. Meanwhile, 10.9% of federal student loan borrowers in South Carolina owe $40,000 to $60,000 — the highest in that range.
Borrowers ages 25 to 49 hold the bulk of student loan debt. 41.7% of D.C. student loan borrowers are 25 to 34 years old, while 36.4% of New Mexico federal borrowers are 35 to 49 — the highest across the U.S. in those ranges. Just 32.0% of Oklahoma borrowers are 25 to 34 years old, while only 23.0% of Massachusetts borrowers are 35 to 49 — the lowest across the U.S.
11.0% of student loan borrowers in West Virginia are delinquent on their loans — the highest across the U.S. Mississippi (10.7%) and Kentucky (10.0%) follow. The lowest delinquency rates are in New Hampshire and Nebraska (4.8%) and New York and Massachusetts (4.9%). (This is the share of federal and private borrowers at least 90 days delinquent on at least one student loan or in default.)

Alabama student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $47,612 (9.3% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,375
Total student loan debt: $23.2 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 615,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.7%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.5%

Alaska student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,912 (8.4% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,144
Total student loan debt: $2.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 70,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 9.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 34.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.9%

Arizona student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $41,597 (4.5% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,228
Total student loan debt: $32.0 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 872,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 32.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.7%

Arkansas student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,673 (2.1% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,686
Total student loan debt: $11.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 374,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.0%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.0%

California student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $40,945 (6.0% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $20,032
Total student loan debt: $151.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 4,021,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 10.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 29.5%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.1%

Colorado student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $43,157 (0.9% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,500
Total student loan debt: $29.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 804,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.7%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.0%

Connecticut student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $43,695 (0.3% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,966
Total student loan debt: $19.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 542,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 24.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.3%

Delaware student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $48,863 (12.1% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,250
Total student loan debt: $5.4 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 137,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 28.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.8%

District of Columbia student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $60,037 (37.8% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $26,165
Total student loan debt: $6.7 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 125,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 18.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 19.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 10.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 41.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.8%

Florida student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $50,005 (14.8% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,456
Total student loan debt: $102.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 2,646,400
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.2%

Georgia student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $50,390 (15.7% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $29,466
Total student loan debt: $68.7 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,641,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 7.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.8%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.4%

Hawaii student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $40,263 (7.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,455
Total student loan debt: $4.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 123,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 8.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 29.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.7%

Idaho student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $43,094 (1.1% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,744
Total student loan debt: $7.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 219,400
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 34.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.5%

Illinois student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $46,575 (6.9% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,640
Total student loan debt: $64.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,713,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 27.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.7%

Indiana student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,907 (8.4% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,165
Total student loan debt: $29.6 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 924,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.4%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.4%

Iowa student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $41,599 (4.5% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,006
Total student loan debt: $13.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 465,500
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 3.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 29.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.6%

Kansas student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,460 (9.4% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,317
Total student loan debt: $13.4 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 395,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.7%

Kentucky student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $43,840 (0.6% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,412
Total student loan debt: $19.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 588,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.2%
Borrower delinquency rate: 10.0%

Louisiana student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $40,696 (6.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,880
Total student loan debt: $22.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 644,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.8%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.3%

Maine student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $35,778 (17.9% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,409
Total student loan debt: $6.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 203,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 28.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.9%

Maryland student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $53,141 (22.0% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $29,609
Total student loan debt: $36.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 864,700
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 7.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 29.8%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.8%

Massachusetts student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,582 (2.3% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,763
Total student loan debt: $37.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,046,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 25.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 38.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 23.0%
Borrower delinquency rate: 4.9%

Michigan student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $44,296 (1.7% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,346
Total student loan debt: $51.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,430,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.9%

Minnesota student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $37,651 (13.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,236
Total student loan debt: $29.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 902,500
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 24.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 28.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.8%

Mississippi student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $45,940 (5.4% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,261
Total student loan debt: $15.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 414,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 19.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 32.8%
Borrower delinquency rate: 10.7%

Missouri student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,937 (1.5% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,292
Total student loan debt: $29.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 829,100
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.7%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.1%

Montana student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,645 (9.0% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $18,331
Total student loan debt: $4.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 132,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 32.0%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.6%

Nebraska student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $35,727 (18.0% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $19,435
Total student loan debt: $8.2 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 261,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 28.2%
Borrower delinquency rate: 4.8%

Nevada student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $40,747 (6.5% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,035
Total student loan debt: $12.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 351,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 11.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 19.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.8%

New Hampshire student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $47,072 (8.0% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,814
Total student loan debt: $7.2 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 219,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 16.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 25.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 25.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 4.8%

New Jersey student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $45,153 (3.6% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,957
Total student loan debt: $49.6 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,339,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 23.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.8%

New Mexico student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $37,580 (13.7% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,578
Total student loan debt: $7.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 215,500
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 10.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 19.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 36.4%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.7%

New York student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $45,933 (5.4% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,995
Total student loan debt: $99.7 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 2,579,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 25.8%
Borrower delinquency rate: 4.9%

North Carolina student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $45,680 (4.8% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $28,472
Total student loan debt: $50.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,340,500
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.0%

North Dakota student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $38,665 (11.3% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,469
Total student loan debt: $3.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 114,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 3.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 37.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 27.4%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.0%

Ohio student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $41,552 (4.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,718
Total student loan debt: $64.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,810,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.0%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.2%

Oklahoma student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,455 (9.4% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,020
Total student loan debt: $15.4 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 480,800
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 34.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.6%

Oregon student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,332 (2.8% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,246
Total student loan debt: $21.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 556,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 35.5%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.3%

Pennsylvania student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,243 (3.0% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,445
Total student loan debt: $71.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 2,032,400
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 24.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 25.5%
Borrower delinquency rate: 7.2%

Rhode Island student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $43,336 (0.5% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $17,561
Total student loan debt: $5.2 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 153,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 38.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 25.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.1%

South Carolina student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $45,619 (4.7% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,407
Total student loan debt: $27.4 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 745,500
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 14.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 22.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 33.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 30.5%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.1%

South Dakota student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $34,052 (21.8% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,228
Total student loan debt: $3.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 135,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 26.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.3%

Tennessee student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $44,549 (2.2% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $23,692
Total student loan debt: $31.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 872,000
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.4%
Borrower delinquency rate: 9.0%

Texas student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $41,299 (5.2% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $25,065
Total student loan debt: $124.1 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 3,759,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 31.4%
Borrower delinquency rate: 8.5%

Utah student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $37,661 (13.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $21,477
Total student loan debt: $10.9 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 325,100
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 10.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 38.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.8%

Vermont student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $39,330 (9.7% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $20,298
Total student loan debt: $3.3 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 96,300
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 15.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 24.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 35.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 26.3%
Borrower delinquency rate: 5.0%

Virginia student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $47,507 (9.0% above the national average)
Median student loan debt: $27,360
Total student loan debt: $44.6 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 1,143,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 6.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.6%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 29.6%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.4%

Washington student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $42,201 (3.1% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $20,714
Total student loan debt: $28.5 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 816,900
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 10.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 5.3%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 34.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.1%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.3%

West Virginia student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $33,856 (22.3% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $22,142
Total student loan debt: $7.0 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 217,200
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 12.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 21.2%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 33.2%
Borrower delinquency rate: 11.0%

Wisconsin student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $40,096 (8.0% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $24,801
Total student loan debt: $24.7 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 785,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 13.4%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 23.8%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.1%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 36.7%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 28.9%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.0%

Wyoming student loan debt

Average student loan debt: $29,809 (31.6% below the national average)
Median student loan debt: $16,571
Total student loan debt: $1.8 billion
Total student loan borrowers: 57,600
Percentage of residents with student loan debt: 10.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $20,000 to $40,000: 20.0%
Percentage of student loan debtors who owe $100,000 to $200,000: 4.5%
Percentage of student loan debtors 25 to 34 years old: 32.9%
Percentage of student loan debtors 35 to 49 years old: 34.7%
Borrower delinquency rate: 6.6%

Paying off your student loans: What to know, what to expect

While the student loan forgiveness plan doesn’t apply to all borrowers, those who took out federally-held loans may be wondering what comes next. We still don’t know when the repayment pause will end, but the latest possible resumption of payments would be September. Specifically, the Department of Education plans to end the emergency forbearance 60 days after the Supreme Court ruling, which is expected by the end of June. If a ruling is delayed past June 30, the repayment freeze will end on the last day of August.

Either way, Kitchen says, the repayment freeze won’t go over easily. “The return of repayment may be traumatic for some, even if the mass forgiveness plan goes forward,” he says. “As a result, borrowers who took out federal loans need to start getting ready.”

As for how borrowers should prepare, there are a few things to remember. To ease the burden of repayments (for both federal and private loans), Kitchen recommends the following:

Look into income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, which could make repayments more manageable. “If you have federal student loans, the good news is that these are — in theory, at least — meant to be always affordable to repay, thanks to IDR plans,” he says. “With an IDR plan, your monthly loan payment is capped at an affordable percentage of your disposable income, with payments usually dropping to $0 if you have no income. Then, after a given number of years (depending on the type of IDR plan), whatever is left on your student loan balance is forgiven.”
If IDR plans aren’t an option, consider contacting your lender directly. “If you have private student loans, you don’t have the option of an IDR plan, but you can still contact your lender if you’re having trouble keeping up with payments,” he says. “Some of the top private student lenders offer repayment pauses or other options for those suffering financial hard times, a disability or other factors that impact their ability to repay the debt.”
Contact your state’s education agency. “For federal and private debt, it’s worth contacting your state’s education agency to see if you qualify for any loan assistance repayment plans,” he says. “These are usually for certain high-need professions, such as nurses or teachers, although some are more broad.”

If you were delinquent on your federal loans before the repayment pause, heads-up: The end of the repayment pause may impact you, too.

“While the delinquent status of federal loans was suspended during the current repayment pause, such loans could return to delinquency once the pause ends,” Kitchen says. “The key here is to act before those delinquent loans go into default. A defaulted loan can wreck your credit and sometimes allow the government to garnish your income.”

If you have delinquent federal loans, Kitchen says an IDR plan should be able to fix the situation, though you’ll likely need to first consolidate the loans. If the loans are already in default, rehabilitation of the debt may be needed. With delinquent or defaulted private loans, meanwhile, the solution will vary by lender, so Kitchen says you’ll need to contact whoever holds your loan to work out a solution.

Methodology

LendingTree researchers analyzed the anonymized credit reports of more than 150,000 LendingTree users in December 2022 to calculate average and median federal and private student loan debt by state.

Researchers analyzed New York Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax from the fourth quarter of 2021 and U.S. Census Bureau 2021 American Community Survey (with five-year estimates) data to calculate the share of residents in each state with federal and private student loan debt.

We also used New York Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax data for:

Total student loan debt balance by state
Borrower delinquency rate, or the share of borrowers with at least one student loan 90-plus days delinquent or in default

Lastly, researchers analyzed Federal Student Aid data — as of Sept. 30, 2022 — to calculate percentages of debt by age and state among federal student loans.

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