Federal student loan balances vary widely by borrower location. In Federal Student Aid’s March 31, 2026 location data, the District of Columbia had the highest average outstanding balance at $55,846 per borrower, while North Dakota had the lowest among the 50 states at $30,543. California had the largest reported location balance at $156.7 billion, while Texas had the largest borrower count at 3,949,800.
These figures measure outstanding federal student loan balances of borrowers by residence. They are not average debt at graduation, and they do not include private student loans as a separate state series.
Federal Student Loan Debt by State
The table covers the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Ranking is based on the average outstanding federal balance per borrower. Balance and borrower-count fields follow the location report’s published precision.
Federal student loan balances by borrower location
Outstanding balance, borrower count, and average balance per borrower as of March 31, 2026.
52 rows
| Average-balance rank | State or jurisdiction | Outstanding balance | Borrowers | Average balance per borrower |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $6.4 billion | 114,600 | $55,846 |
| 2 | Maryland | $38.4 billion | 842,300 | $45,589 |
| 3 | Georgia | $74.6 billion | 1,702,700 | $43,813 |
| 4 | Virginia | $45.5 billion | 1,085,500 | $41,916 |
| 5 | Florida | $113.1 billion | 2,747,700 | $41,162 |
| 6 | Illinois | $65.3 billion | 1,601,500 | $40,774 |
| 7 | New York | $99.9 billion | 2,456,600 | $40,666 |
| 8 | Delaware | $5.6 billion | 137,800 | $40,639 |
| 9 | Hawaii | $4.9 billion | 121,000 | $40,496 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $55.8 billion | 1,379,300 | $40,455 |
| 11 | South Carolina | $31.4 billion | 782,300 | $40,138 |
| 12 | California | $156.7 billion | 3,919,500 | $39,980 |
| 13 | Oregon | $20.8 billion | 526,600 | $39,499 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $48.4 billion | 1,235,500 | $39,174 |
| 15 | Alabama | $26.0 billion | 664,000 | $39,157 |
| 16 | Mississippi | $17.8 billion | 456,300 | $39,009 |
| 17 | Colorado | $29.7 billion | 764,600 | $38,844 |
| 18 | Vermont | $2.9 billion | 74,800 | $38,770 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $34.6 billion | 894,900 | $38,664 |
| 20 | Michigan | $53.2 billion | 1,377,300 | $38,626 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $19.8 billion | 515,400 | $38,417 |
| 22 | Washington | $29.6 billion | 776,100 | $38,139 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $69.6 billion | 1,853,900 | $37,542 |
| 24 | Alaska | $2.4 billion | 64,500 | $37,209 |
| 25 | Arizona | $34.0 billion | 916,100 | $37,114 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $33.4 billion | 900,600 | $37,086 |
| 27 | Missouri | $30.6 billion | 826,500 | $37,024 |
| 28 | Ohio | $64.3 billion | 1,770,800 | $36,311 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $6.8 billion | 187,700 | $36,228 |
| 30 | Louisiana | $25.1 billion | 694,000 | $36,167 |
| 31 | Maine | $6.7 billion | 186,600 | $35,906 |
| 32 | Nevada | $13.2 billion | 367,900 | $35,879 |
| 33 | Montana | $4.5 billion | 126,400 | $35,601 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $27.5 billion | 772,600 | $35,594 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $14.5 billion | 408,400 | $35,504 |
| 36 | Utah | $11.1 billion | 313,300 | $35,429 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $8.0 billion | 226,000 | $35,398 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $21.6 billion | 615,600 | $35,088 |
| 39 | Texas | $138.3 billion | 3,949,800 | $35,014 |
| 40 | Puerto Rico | $11.7 billion | 336,900 | $34,728 |
| 41 | Idaho | $7.5 billion | 216,500 | $34,642 |
| 42 | Kansas | $13.1 billion | 379,300 | $34,537 |
| 43 | Indiana | $31.0 billion | 898,500 | $34,502 |
| 44 | Rhode Island | $5.1 billion | 149,700 | $34,068 |
| 45 | Wisconsin | $24.0 billion | 709,100 | $33,846 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $7.7 billion | 228,300 | $33,728 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $8.2 billion | 243,500 | $33,676 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $17.1 billion | 510,700 | $33,483 |
| 49 | Wyoming | $1.8 billion | 54,800 | $32,847 |
| 50 | Iowa | $13.5 billion | 423,400 | $31,885 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $3.7 billion | 116,700 | $31,705 |
| 52 | North Dakota | $2.7 billion | 88,400 | $30,543 |
Where Average Balances Are Highest
The highest average balances are concentrated in the District of Columbia and several Mid-Atlantic and Southern states. D.C.’s $55,846 average is well above Maryland at $45,589, the highest state value. Georgia follows at $43,813, while Virginia and Florida are also above $41,000.
Highest average federal student loan balances by borrower location
Top 10 locations by average outstanding balance per borrower, March 31, 2026.
Federal Student Aid, Portfolio by Location, March 31, 2026.
The spread between the highest and lowest averages
- The District of Columbia’s $55,846 average is $25,303 above North Dakota’s $30,543 average.
- Among states, Maryland ranks highest at $45,589, while North Dakota ranks lowest at $30,543.
- Average balance does not measure how many borrowers live in a state; a smaller jurisdiction can rank high on average debt while holding a much smaller total balance.
States With the Largest Total Balances
Total debt tells a different story from average debt. California and Texas hold the two largest reported balances, at $156.7 billion and $138.3 billion. Florida is third at $113.1 billion, followed by New York at $99.9 billion. These totals are strongly influenced by the number of borrowers in each location.
Largest reported federal student loan balances by location
Top 10 locations by outstanding balance, in billions of dollars, March 31, 2026.
Federal Student Aid, Portfolio by Location, March 31, 2026.
Average debt and total debt produce different rankings
- California ranks first in reported total balance at $156.7 billion but does not rank among the 10 highest locations by average balance per borrower.
- Texas has the largest borrower count at 3,949,800 and the second-largest total balance at $138.3 billion, while its average balance is $35,014.
- The District of Columbia ranks first by average balance but has a reported total balance of $6.4 billion because its borrower population is much smaller.
What the Location Measure Represents
Federal Student Aid reports these figures by the borrower’s location rather than the location of the college or university attended. A borrower who attended school in one state and later moved to another can therefore appear under the borrower’s current reported location.
The balance measure is an outstanding-loan measure. It should not be read as the amount borrowed in a single academic year or as the amount owed when a student graduated. Those measures use different populations and time points.
Data Notes
- The reporting period is March 31, 2026. Federal Student Aid announced on June 23, 2026 that its quarterly reports had been refreshed with data through that date.
- The table includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. FSA also uses location categories outside these rows in its underlying reporting, so the displayed state and jurisdiction rows should not be forced to equal a separate national portfolio total.
- Outstanding balances and borrower counts are displayed at the precision used in the location series. Average balances are shown to the nearest dollar.
- Federal and private student debt are different data series. This page does not combine them.
Sources
- Portfolio by Location — U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal Student Aid; borrower-location balances and borrower counts through March 31, 2026.
- Federal Student Aid Posts Updated Reports to FSA Data Center — Federal Student Aid, June 23, 2026; confirms the quarterly report refresh through March 31, 2026.
Cite This Page
DebtData.org. (2026). Student Loan Debt by State. https://debtdata.org/student-loan-debt-by-state/“Student Loan Debt by State.” DebtData.org, August 30, 2026, https://debtdata.org/student-loan-debt-by-state/.DebtData.org. “Student Loan Debt by State.” Published August 30, 2026. https://debtdata.org/student-loan-debt-by-state/.