This study documents the student loan debt of recent college graduates.

  • New data from the U.S. Department of Education reveal the typical student loan debt of recent college graduates.
  • Median student loan debt varies by credential: associate degree ($14,160), bachelor’s degree ($23,796), master’s degree ($42,903), professional degree ($168,277), and doctoral degree ($81,072).
  • Debt also varies by state, with graduates from some states facing substantially lower debt burdens than graduates from other states.
  • We also report median student loan debt by academic field (4-digit CIP code) and credential.
  • We document which of the largest academic fields and degrees had the biggest growth or decline in student loan debt.