Pennsylvania borrowers had $69.6 billion in outstanding federal student loan debt across about 1.854 million borrowers as of March 31, 2026, according to Federal Student Aid’s borrower-location data. Using the published balance and borrower count, the average outstanding federal balance works out to about $37,542 per borrower.
Pennsylvania had the sixth-largest reported federal student loan balance among the 50 states and the fifth-largest borrower count. Its approximate average balance per borrower ranked 22nd among states. These rankings are calculated from Federal Student Aid’s March 2026 state rows.
Pennsylvania’s Federal Student Loan Balance
The $69.6 billion figure is an outstanding federal loan balance. It represents federal student loans associated with borrowers reported in Pennsylvania rather than the amount borrowed by students attending Pennsylvania colleges during a particular year.
Pennsylvania federal student loan measures
Federal Student Aid borrower-location data as of March 31, 2026. State ranks exclude the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
| Measure | Pennsylvania | Rank among 50 states |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding federal balance | $69.6 billion | 6th |
| Federal borrowers | 1,853,900 | 5th |
| Approx. balance per borrower | About $37,542 | 22nd |
The approximate $37,542 balance per borrower is not average debt at graduation. It is an outstanding-balance measure covering federal borrowers living in Pennsylvania at the reporting date. Private student loans are not added to the FSA balance.
How Pennsylvania Compares With Neighboring States
Pennsylvania’s approximate federal balance per borrower was below Maryland, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey but above Ohio and West Virginia. Maryland’s estimated $45,589 average was about $8,047 above Pennsylvania’s, while West Virginia’s was about $3,814 lower.
Federal student loan debt in Pennsylvania and neighboring states
Outstanding balance and borrower count as of March 31, 2026. Average balance is calculated from the rounded FSA figures.
| State | Outstanding balance | Borrowers | Approx. balance per borrower |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $38.4 billion | 842,300 | $45,589 |
| New York | $99.9 billion | 2,456,600 | $40,666 |
| Delaware | $5.6 billion | 137,800 | $40,639 |
| New Jersey | $48.4 billion | 1,235,500 | $39,174 |
| Pennsylvania | $69.6 billion | 1,853,900 | $37,542 |
| Ohio | $64.3 billion | 1,770,800 | $36,311 |
| West Virginia | $7.7 billion | 228,300 | $33,728 |
Approximate federal student loan balance per borrower in Pennsylvania and neighboring states
Calculated from Federal Student Aid’s rounded outstanding-balance and borrower-count figures, March 31, 2026.
Federal Student Aid, Portfolio by Location, March 31, 2026.
Pennsylvania’s position among nearby states
- Pennsylvania had a larger total federal balance than every bordering state except New York.
- Its borrower count exceeded every neighboring state except New York.
- The state’s approximate balance per borrower sat near the middle of the seven-state group rather than tracking its high total balance rank.
A Broader Consumer-Credit Measure
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia data provide a different view of student debt. Its Consumer Credit Explorer is based on credit-report data and includes student loans originated by both the federal government and private lenders. Because the population and loan coverage differ from Federal Student Aid data, the two series should not be combined.
Pennsylvania student loan measures from consumer credit records
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Consumer Credit Explorer measures for 2025 Q1.
| Measure | Value | Population and definition |
|---|---|---|
| Consumers with student loan debt | 23% | Student loan borrowers as a share of Pennsylvania consumers with total debt greater than $0 |
| Average student loan debt | $37,700 | Average among borrowers with outstanding student loan debt; expressed in 2025 Q1 dollars |
| Student loan borrowers with severely delinquent debt | 11% | Borrowers with at least one severely delinquent student loan account as a share of borrowers with student loan debt |
The 2025 Delinquency Shift
The Philadelphia Fed reported that 11% of Pennsylvania student loan borrowers had severely delinquent student loan debt in 2025 Q1, up from 1.2% in the previous quarter. The report links the abrupt change mainly to the return of missed federal student loan payments to credit reports after they had generally not been reported from 2020 Q2 through 2024 Q4.
The 2025 Q1 delinquency figure should not be treated as a smooth continuation of the pandemic-era series. Credit reporting practices changed, creating a break in comparability around the end of 2024.
Data Notes
- Federal Student Aid’s March 31, 2026 location report is the latest quarterly borrower-location dataset confirmed in FSA’s published Data Center update as of this report.
- The $69.6 billion balance and 1,853,900 borrower count are published at rounded precision. Dividing those figures produces an approximate balance of $37,542 per borrower, so the calculated average should not be interpreted as an unrounded administrative value.
- State ranks are calculations from the 50 state rows in the same FSA location dataset. The District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are excluded from the state-only rankings.
- Federal Student Aid location data describe borrowers by reported location. They do not measure borrowing by students attending colleges located in Pennsylvania.
- The Philadelphia Fed’s 2025 Q1 consumer-credit measures use Federal Reserve Bank of New York Consumer Credit Panel/Equifax data and include federal and private student loans. Those measures have different coverage from the FSA federal portfolio.
Sources
- Portfolio by Location — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid; outstanding federal balances and borrower counts by location through March 31, 2026.
- Federal Student Aid Posts Updated Reports to FSA Data Center — Federal Student Aid, June 23, 2026; confirms the quarterly portfolio refresh through March 31, 2026.
- Student Loan Debt in Third District States — Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, October 2025; Pennsylvania consumer student loan balance, prevalence, and severe-delinquency measures for 2025 Q1.
Cite This Page
DebtData.org. (2026). Pennsylvania Student Loan Debt. https://debtdata.org/pennsylvania-student-loan-debt/“Pennsylvania Student Loan Debt.” DebtData.org, September 20, 2026, https://debtdata.org/pennsylvania-student-loan-debt/.DebtData.org. “Pennsylvania Student Loan Debt.” Published September 20, 2026. https://debtdata.org/pennsylvania-student-loan-debt/.