Colleges Where Students Graduate With The Least Debt
Students at these colleges leave with the least federal student loan debt. Debt per student multiplies the share of students who borrow by the median debt of graduates who borrowed, so a school where few students borrow ranks well even if those who do borrow owe more. Only colleges where at least 60% of students graduate are included.
| Rank | College | Grade | Debt Per Student | Median Earnings | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | $469 (6% borrow) | $95,954 | 95% |
| 2 | Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ · Private Non-Profit | A | $492 (4% borrow) | $133,523 | 97% |
| 3 | Berea CollegeBerea, KY · Private Non-Profit | C | $562 (10% borrow) | $48,071 | 66% |
| 4 | University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Private Non-Profit | A | $584 (5% borrow) | $103,872 | 95% |
| 5 | Stanford UniversityStanford, CA · Private Non-Profit | A | $708 (7% borrow) | $125,340 | 92% |
| 6 | Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · Private Non-Profit | A | $793 (7% borrow) | $118,356 | 96% |
| 7 | Rice UniversityHouston, TX · Private Non-Profit | A | $888 (7% borrow) | $90,773 | 95% |
| 8 | Washington University in St LouisSt. Louis, MO · Private Non-Profit | A | $894 (6% borrow) | $91,497 | 93% |
| 9 | Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | $948 (7% borrow) | $152,553 | 96% |
| 10 | Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,004 (7% borrow) | $86,811 | 90% |
| 11 | Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,008 (8% borrow) | $104,590 | 93% |
| 12 | Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,014 (8% borrow) | $93,897 | 91% |
| 13 | Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA · Private Non-Profit | B | $1,064 (13% borrow) | $69,936 | 86% |
| 14 | Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA · Private Non-Profit | B | $1,096 (13% borrow) | $72,106 | 86% |
| 15 | Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,235 (10% borrow) | $80,228 | 81% |
| 16 | Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA · Private Non-Profit | B | $1,272 (9% borrow) | $76,397 | 89% |
| 17 | Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,276 (9% borrow) | $90,153 | 93% |
| 18 | Baruch CollegeNew York, NY · Public | A | $1,310 (10% borrow) | $83,742 | 70% |
| 19 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL · Public | A | $1,387 (10% borrow) | $78,456 | 92% |
| 20 | Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,394 (8% borrow) | $121,957 | 97% |
| 21 | Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,514 (10% borrow) | $99,080 | 93% |
| 22 | Davidson CollegeDavidson, NC · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,516 (10% borrow) | $89,297 | 90% |
| 23 | Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,522 (11% borrow) | $95,161 | 93% |
| 24 | University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC · Public | A | $1,543 (13% borrow) | $81,094 | 91% |
| 25 | Colby CollegeWaterville, ME · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,561 (9% borrow) | $88,776 | 87% |
| 26 | Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,575 (11% borrow) | $99,974 | 96% |
| 27 | University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,635 (11% borrow) | $121,687 | 97% |
| 28 | Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,655 (12% borrow) | $84,281 | 92% |
| 29 | Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,701 (11% borrow) | $86,311 | 92% |
| 30 | Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY · Private Non-Profit | B | $1,717 (14% borrow) | $96,328 | 89% |
| 31 | Duke UniversityDurham, NC · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,750 (13% borrow) | $113,937 | 96% |
| 32 | Bates CollegeLewiston, ME · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,782 (15% borrow) | $98,373 | 88% |
| 33 | Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, UT · Public | B | $1,920 (15% borrow) | $53,925 | 62% |
| 34 | Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH · Private Non-Profit | A | $1,985 (15% borrow) | $111,162 | 95% |
| 35 | UC BerkeleyBerkeley, CA · Public | A | $2,050 (17% borrow) | $100,212 | 94% |
| 36 | UC Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public | A | $2,117 (18% borrow) | $82,568 | 84% |
| 37 | University of WashingtonSeattle, WA · Public | A | $2,126 (15% borrow) | $83,105 | 85% |
| 38 | Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA · Private Non-Profit | A | $2,334 (24% borrow) | $90,458 | 91% |
| 39 | UC DavisDavis, CA · Public | A | $2,358 (20% borrow) | $86,999 | 86% |
| 40 | Scripps CollegeClaremont, CA · Private Non-Profit | B | $2,453 (18% borrow) | $84,025 | 84% |
| 41 | Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY · Private Non-Profit | A | $2,456 (20% borrow) | $113,531 | 95% |
| 42 | Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · Public | A | $2,552 (20% borrow) | $68,225 | 86% |
| 43 | Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC · Private Non-Profit | A | $2,554 (13% borrow) | $104,443 | 90% |
| 44 | Florida International UniversityMiami, FL · Public | B | $2,573 (17% borrow) | $65,722 | 78% |
| 45 | Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VA · Private Non-Profit | A | $2,599 (15% borrow) | $102,966 | 96% |
| 46 | Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC · Private Non-Profit | B | $2,613 (18% borrow) | $110,516 | 94% |
| 47 | UCLALos Angeles, CA · Public | A | $2,617 (19% borrow) | $88,581 | 93% |
| 48 | UC IrvineIrvine, CA · Public | A | $2,636 (21% borrow) | $83,432 | 87% |
| 49 | San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA · Public | A | $2,733 (19% borrow) | $83,493 | 68% |
| 50 | University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, WA · Public | A | $2,737 (20% borrow) | $83,105 | 68% |
Source: The College Investor.
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