The 25 colleges where students graduate with the most debt

It's back-to-school season. College isn't cheap. Fifteen universities have sticker prices of at least $100,000. It's no wonder that there's $1.724 trillion of federal student debt in the US. It's back-to-school season — and that means that some bright-eyed college freshmen and their proud families are getting ready to shell out six figures to attend their dream schools. Tuition prices have soared in recent decades, even as Americans have grown more skeptical of the value of a four-year degree. Still, there's a significant number of young adults in college. In 2024, 19.28 million students were enrolled in college, down from the peak of 21 million in 2010, per the Education Data Initiative. For some of those students, pursuing a degree was only possible by taking out loans, either federal or private. Business Insider used the Department of Education's College Scorecard to identify the 25 universities whose students graduate with the highest median federal debt. For the ranking, we considered main campuses with at least 500 undergraduate students that predominantly offer bachelor's degrees. The DOE does not track private loans or federal Parent PLUS loans, so this ranking does not reflect all the debt students and their families may take on to pay for university. The list includes public, private nonprofit, for-profit, and primarily online institutions. One major trend stood out: A majority of the top 25 colleges — 56% — are historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). HBCU students borrow at a higher rate than non-HBCU students, and they tend to borrow more, according to UNCF, which has linked this higher borrowing to greater "unmet financial need" among HBCU students. Marybeth Gasman, executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, told Business Insider that HBCUs often have fewer resources to offer institutional aid. "They have lower endowments and smaller operating budgets than many comparable PWIs (predominantly white institutions)," she said. "It is important that students take out the least amount of aid, but that can be difficult when people have needs," she said, adding that some students also take out loans to support their families. With that context in mind, here are the 25 US universities where students graduate with the highest median federal debt. 25. Albertus Magnus College — New Haven, Connecticut View of the New Haven Green and downtown, in New Haven, /iStockphoto Median debt: $30,964 13 (tie). American InterContinental University — Chandler, Arizona Chandler, Arizona. /iStockphoto Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Texas College — Tyler, Texas Tyler, Texas. /iStockphoto Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). South Carolina State University — Orangeburg, South Carolina The South Carolina University Bango Brothers Incorporated perform ahead of the arrival of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a 'First In The Nation' campaign rally at South Carolina State University on February 02, 2024 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Southern University at New Orleans — New Orleans The city skyline of New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding metropolitan area along the banks of the Mississippi River shot from an altitude of about 1000 feet during a helicopter photo flight. Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Dillard University — New Orleans Dillard University, is a more than 100-year-old historically Black college in New Orleans. Rochelle Ford, president of the school, has found herself in the middle of America's intense national debate on U.S. support for Israel. Kathleen Flynn Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Fort Valley State University — Fort Valley, Georgia Fort Valley State University. Google Mapsa Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Bethune-Cookman University — Daytona Beach, Florida Bethune Cookman University campus Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design — Lakewood, Colorado Sean Brown, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design instructor looks at conceptual drawings for a virtual reality comic book at the Colorado Convention Center June 16, 2016. ( Andy Cross/ Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). ArtCenter College of Design — Pasadena, California The new south campus of Art Center, College of Design on Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. Pic. shows the view of the college from the Raymond Ave. side. Lawrence K. Ho/ Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Academy of Art University — San Francisco Academy of Art University sign on urban street with surrounding office buildings, San Francisco, California, December 4, 2025. Smith Collection/ Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Alabama State University — Montgomery, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama. /iStock Median debt: $31,000 13 (tie). Alabama A&M University — Normal, Alabama Dusk Over The Downtown Urban City Center /iStockphoto Median debt: $31,000 12. Livingstone College — Salisbury, North Carolina Livingstone College. Google Maps Median debt: $31,125 11. Miles College — Fairfield, Alabama Miles College. Google Maps Median debt: $31,217 9 (tie) Peirce College — Philadelphia Rows of brownstone apartment buildings in Center City with windows, stoops and plants /iStockphoto Median debt: $31,250 9 (tie). University of Arizona Global Campus — Chandler, Arizona Tucson, Arizona. /iStock Median debt: $31,250 8. University of Phoenix - Arizona — Phoenix The University of Phoenix sign during the Arizona Cardinals training camp on Aug 8, 2018 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Kevin Abele/ Median debt: $31,553 6 (tie). Benedict College — Columbia, South Carolina Benedict College. Cecil Williams/ Median debt: $32,500 6 (tie). Shaw University — Raleigh, North Carolina Shaw University. /iStock Median debt: $32,500 5. West Coast University - Texas — Richardson, Texas Richardson, Texas. /iStock Median debt: $32,946 4. Allen University — Columbia, South Carolina Columbia, South Carolina. /iStock Median debt: $34,290 3. Grambling State University — Grambling, Louisiana Grambling State University. /iStock Median debt: $36,500 2. Everglades University — Boca Raton, Florida An aerial view of Boca Raton. 6381380/ Median debt: $38,996 1. Provo College — Provo, Utah Aerial view of Provo City, Utah. /iStockphoto Median debt: $41,733 Read the original article on Business Insider

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