Map Reveals Cities With Worst Student Debt Across US
Summary
Student loan debt in the United States has grown to about $1.8 trillion, with millions of Americans struggling to repay their loans. A new study shows some cities have a much higher student debt burden compared to local incomes, and the Trump administration is changing federal loan repayment plans starting in 2026.Key Facts
- The U.S. has $1.8 trillion in student loan debt, up from $520 billion in 2006.
- About 42 to 43 million Americans have federal student loans.
- The average borrower owes around $40,000, rising to about $43,000 including private loans.
- Federal loans make up about 90% of all student debt.
- Around 10% of federal student loans are currently past due or in default.
- WalletHub studied 2,520 U.S. cities and ranked them by student debt compared to income for college graduates.
- Ashtabula, Ohio has the highest student debt burden at 78%, meaning debt equals 78% of median graduate income.
- The Trump administration will replace multiple income-based repayment plans with a single new plan called the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP) starting in July 2026.
- RAP will base monthly payments on 1 to 10% of income, with up to 30 years to repay before possible loan forgiveness.
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