Fast Facts on Public University Graduates’ College Debt

Seven facts on public university graduates’ college debt.

1) 36% of students at four-year public universities finished their bachelor’s degree without any debt. Source.

2) Nearly 62 percent public university graduates complete their undergraduate degree with less than $20,000 in debt. Source.

3)Under 6% of all public university undergraduate students graduate with $50,000 or more in student debt. Source.

4) Those with over $100,000 in debt are rarer still: they represent just 0.5% of four-year public university undergraduates completing their degrees. Source.

5) Among public university students who borrow, the average debt at graduation is about $25,600— or $6,400 for each year of a four-year degree at a public university (and that includes tuition and fees, room and board, other expenses such as textbooks). Source.

6) Although graduate students represent about 14% of students in higher education across all sectors, they hold about 40% of total student debt (and graduate students are pursuing advanced degrees that will in many cases dramatically boost their earning potential). Source.

7) The median student-debt borrower between ages 20 and 30 pays $203 a month toward student debt (across all higher education sectors). Source