Where Student Loan Balances Are Highest<\/p>\n
More than 40 million individuals, or about one in six American adults, have student debt today. Total federal student loan debt has surpassed $1.8 trillion, making it roughly comparable to the size of South Korea\u2019s economy.<\/p>\n
Washington, D.C., stands apart with an average balance of $55,846. Maryland, in a distant second, has the highest average among the 50 states at $45,589, followed by Georgia ($43,813), Virginia ($41,916), and Florida ($41,162).<\/p>\n
The following data table ranks states by their average federal debt per borrower.<\/p>\n
\tRankState (+DC)Avg. Federal Debt per Borrower ($)<\/p>\n
\t1District of Columbia55,846<\/p>\n
\t2Maryland45,589<\/p>\n
\t3Georgia43,813<\/p>\n
\t4Virginia41,916<\/p>\n
\t5Florida41,162<\/p>\n
\t6Illinois40,774<\/p>\n
\t7New York40,666<\/p>\n
\t8Delaware40,639<\/p>\n
\t9Hawaii40,496<\/p>\n
\t10North Carolina40,455<\/p>\n
\t11South Carolina40,138<\/p>\n
\t12California39,980<\/p>\n
\t13Oregon39,499<\/p>\n
\t14New Jersey39,174<\/p>\n
\t15Alabama39,157<\/p>\n
\t16Mississippi39,009<\/p>\n
\t17Colorado38,844<\/p>\n
\t18Vermont38,770<\/p>\n
\t19Tennessee38,664<\/p>\n
\t20Michigan38,626<\/p>\n
\t21Connecticut38,417<\/p>\n
\t22Washington38,139<\/p>\n
\t23Pennsylvania37,542<\/p>\n
\t24Alaska37,209<\/p>\n
\t25Arizona37,114<\/p>\n
\t26Massachusetts37,086<\/p>\n
\t27Missouri37,024<\/p>\n
\t28Ohio36,311<\/p>\n
\t29New Hampshire36,228<\/p>\n
\t30Louisiana36,167<\/p>\n
\t31Maine35,906<\/p>\n
\t32Nevada35,879<\/p>\n
\t33Montana35,601<\/p>\n
\t34Minnesota35,594<\/p>\n
\t35Arkansas35,504<\/p>\n
\t36Utah35,429<\/p>\n
\t37New Mexico35,398<\/p>\n
\t38Kentucky35,088<\/p>\n
\t39Texas35,014<\/p>\n
\t40Idaho34,642<\/p>\n
\t41Kansas34,537<\/p>\n
\t42Indiana34,502<\/p>\n
\t43Rhode Island34,068<\/p>\n
\t44Wisconsin33,846<\/p>\n
\t45West Virginia33,728<\/p>\n
\t46Nebraska33,676<\/p>\n
\t47Oklahoma33,483<\/p>\n
\t48Wyoming32,847<\/p>\n
\t49Iowa31,885<\/p>\n
\t50South Dakota31,705<\/p>\n
\t51North Dakota30,543<\/p>\n
States in the country\u2019s interior tend to have lower student debt averages. North Dakota ($30,543) is lowest nationwide, followed by South Dakota ($31,705) and Iowa ($31,885).<\/p>\n
Geography can be misleading, however, because these figures are based on a borrower\u2019s state of residence rather than the location of the college they attended. A state\u2019s position therefore reflects the debt carried by people living there, not simply the tuition charged by local universities.<\/p>\n
Why D.C. Stands Out<\/p>\n
The nation\u2019s capital has an average balance roughly $10,000 higher than the nearest state. One likely factor is D.C.\u2019s high concentration of advanced-degree holders. The District leads the nation<\/a> in higher education, including graduate education, as well as income, supported in part by high-paying government-adjacent private-sector jobs.<\/p>\n Two-thirds of adults in D.C. have a bachelor\u2019s degree, while more than a third of residents aged 25 and older hold a graduate or professional degree. Meanwhile, median household income tops $109,000, well ahead of any state.<\/p>\n Graduate education, including master\u2019s degrees and law school, can add another layer of borrowing after a bachelor\u2019s degree. Borrowers with more education are more likely to carry larger student loan balances, meaning D.C.\u2019s outlier figure may partly reflect its highly educated population and greater exposure to graduate-school borrowing.<\/p>\n Bigger Balances, Bigger Paychecks?<\/p>\n The D.C. example points to a broader consideration: loan size is only one part of the repayment challenge. Income, employment, and degree completion also matter.<\/p>\n Borrowers with less education are more likely to fall behind on student loan payments, even though they have often taken out less debt<\/a> than those with more advanced degrees. A smaller loan can still be difficult to repay without the earnings that a completed degree may help provide.<\/p>\n This is important context given that more than 40% of students<\/a> who attend college never graduate. That leaves millions of Americans carrying student debt without the potential earnings benefit of a completed degree.<\/p>\n Learn More on the Voronoi App<\/p>\n
![\"Map](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/StudentDebt2_MainGraphic.webp\")
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