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Home/Rankings/Lowest Student Debt

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College Index · Class of 2026

Lowest Student Debt

Schools where graduates carry the least student loan debt

Top 100 of 1205 schoolsUpdated 2026-07-15

Berea College

Berea, KY · Private Nonprofit

Index

100.0

University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

Arecibo, PR · Public

Index

97.2

Atlantic University

Guaynabo, PR · Private Nonprofit

Index

96.9

🏆 Overall 💰 Salaries 📊 Value 🏷️ Affordable 🎓 Academics 🏈 Athletics 🎉 Social Life 🌍 Diversity 🔥 Buzz 🛡️ Safety ☀️ Weather ⛪ Religious 🎓 Graduation 💳 Low Debt 🔄 Retention 🚀 First-Gen ✊ HBCUs 🏙️ Urban 🌾 Rural 🏫 Public 🏛️ Private 🎯 ROI Safeties

How this ranking is calculated

Ranks schools by the median federal student loan debt carried by graduates at the time of completion — the single most consequential number for post-grad financial health.

What drives the score

Median federal student loan debt at graduation (primary factor)
Average net price after grants and scholarships (secondary factor)
Pell Grant recipient rate (proxy for institutional generosity)

Data sources

Federal student loan outcome data linked to College Scorecard records
Institutional financial aid and net price reporting

Debt figures reflect graduates who borrowed federal loans and may understate total debt for students who also used private loans. Schools with many students who borrow zero (e.g., very low-cost public schools or wealthy private schools with strong aid) will score near the top.

Sorted by College Index's composite low debt score, normalized 0–100 across all ranked schools.

Rank

School

Location

Type

Composite Index

Does #1 feel right for Low Debt?

Berea College

Berea, KY

Berea, KY

Private Nonprofit

Does #2 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

Arecibo, PR

Arecibo, PR

Does #3 feel right for Low Debt?

Atlantic University

Guaynabo, PR

Guaynabo, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #4 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico

Bayamon, PR

Bayamon, PR

Does #5 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR

Aguadilla, PR

Does #6 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo

Fajardo, PR

Fajardo, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #7 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

Cayey, PR

Cayey, PR

Does #8 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico at Ponce

Ponce, PR

Ponce, PR

Does #9 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR

Aguadilla, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #10 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

Mercedita, PR

Mercedita, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #11 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Humacao

Humacao, PR

Humacao, PR

Does #12 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras

San Juan, PR

San Juan, PR

Does #13 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Carolina

Carolina, PR

Carolina, PR

Does #14 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German

San German, PR

San German, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #15 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon

Bayamon, PR

Bayamon, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #16 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

Arecibo, PR

Arecibo, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #17 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, NY

Bronx, NY

Does #18 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

New York, NY

New York, NY

Does #19 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn, NY

Does #20 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY

New York, NY

Does #21 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY New York City College of Technology

Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn, NY

Does #22 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Queens College

Queens, NY

Queens, NY

Does #23 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

New York, NY

New York, NY

Does #24 feel right for Low Debt?

Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus

San Juan, PR

San Juan, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #25 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR

Mayaguez, PR

Does #26 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY Medgar Evers College

Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn, NY

Does #27 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY City College

New York, NY

New York, NY

Does #28 feel right for Low Debt?

Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus

Gurabo, PR

Gurabo, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #29 feel right for Low Debt?

Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro

San Juan, PR

San Juan, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #30 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Does #31 feel right for Low Debt?

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX

Edinburg, TX

Does #32 feel right for Low Debt?

Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus

Carolina, PR

Carolina, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #33 feel right for Low Debt?

CUNY York College

Jamaica, NY

Jamaica, NY

Does #34 feel right for Low Debt?

Dalton State College

Dalton, GA

Dalton, GA

Does #35 feel right for Low Debt?

Texas A & M International University

Laredo, TX

Laredo, TX

Does #36 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Stanislaus

Turlock, CA

Turlock, CA

Does #37 feel right for Low Debt?

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Princeton, NJ

Private Nonprofit

Does #38 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA

Carson, CA

Does #39 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA

San Bernardino, CA

Does #40 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Northridge

Northridge, CA

Northridge, CA

Does #41 feel right for Low Debt?

Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Lake City, UT

Private Nonprofit

Does #42 feel right for Low Debt?

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL

Orlando, FL

Private Nonprofit

Does #43 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Fullerton

Fullerton, CA

Fullerton, CA

Does #44 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA

Fresno, CA

Does #45 feel right for Low Debt?

New Mexico Highlands University

Las Vegas, NM

Las Vegas, NM

Does #46 feel right for Low Debt?

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY

Staten Island, NY

Does #47 feel right for Low Debt?

Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce

Ponce, PR

Ponce, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #48 feel right for Low Debt?

Brigham Young University

Provo, UT

Provo, UT

Private Nonprofit

Does #49 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA

Seaside, CA

Does #50 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA

Long Beach, CA

Does #51 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA

Bakersfield, CA

Does #52 feel right for Low Debt?

Brigham Young University-Hawaii

Laie, HI

Laie, HI

Private Nonprofit

Does #53 feel right for Low Debt?

Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV

Las Vegas, NV

Private For-Profit

Does #54 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento, CA

Does #55 feel right for Low Debt?

Rice University

Houston, TX

Houston, TX

Private Nonprofit

Does #56 feel right for Low Debt?

Southern Utah University

Cedar City, UT

Cedar City, UT

Does #57 feel right for Low Debt?

Universidad del Sagrado Corazon

Santurce, PR

Santurce, PR

Private Nonprofit

Does #58 feel right for Low Debt?

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL

Does #59 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA

Camarillo, CA

Does #60 feel right for Low Debt?

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, NY

Old Westbury, NY

Does #61 feel right for Low Debt?

Texas A&M University-Central Texas

Killeen, TX

Killeen, TX

Does #62 feel right for Low Debt?

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, MD

Private Nonprofit

Does #63 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA

Tacoma, WA

Does #64 feel right for Low Debt?

Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe

Tempe, AZ

Tempe, AZ

Private For-Profit

Does #65 feel right for Low Debt?

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, KY

Williamsburg, KY

Private Nonprofit

Does #66 feel right for Low Debt?

Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, AZ

Private For-Profit

Does #67 feel right for Low Debt?

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

Berkeley, CA

Does #68 feel right for Low Debt?

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Stanford, CA

Private Nonprofit

Does #69 feel right for Low Debt?

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA

Merced, CA

Does #70 feel right for Low Debt?

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA

Davis, CA

Does #71 feel right for Low Debt?

Sul Ross State University

Alpine, TX

Alpine, TX

Does #72 feel right for Low Debt?

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY

Farmingdale, NY

Does #73 feel right for Low Debt?

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY

Syracuse, NY

Does #74 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL

Gainesville, FL

Does #75 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Hawaii-West Oahu

Kapolei, HI

Kapolei, HI

Does #76 feel right for Low Debt?

University of the Virgin Islands

Charlotte Amalie, VI

Charlotte Amalie, VI

Does #77 feel right for Low Debt?

Florida Polytechnic University

Lakeland, FL

Lakeland, FL

Does #78 feel right for Low Debt?

Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus

Portales, NM

Portales, NM

Does #79 feel right for Low Debt?

Mississippi University for Women

Columbus, MS

Columbus, MS

Does #80 feel right for Low Debt?

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Does #81 feel right for Low Debt?

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco, CA

Does #82 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

Gainesville, FL

Does #83 feel right for Low Debt?

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA

Pomona, CA

Does #84 feel right for Low Debt?

The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX

El Paso, TX

Does #85 feel right for Low Debt?

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

Wellesley, MA

Private Nonprofit

Does #86 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Guam

Mangilao, GU

Mangilao, GU

Does #87 feel right for Low Debt?

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA

Hayward, CA

Does #88 feel right for Low Debt?

Indiana University-Kokomo

Kokomo, IN

Kokomo, IN

Does #89 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL

Chicago, IL

Does #90 feel right for Low Debt?

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

Claremont, CA

Private Nonprofit

Does #91 feel right for Low Debt?

Florida International University

Miami, FL

Miami, FL

Does #92 feel right for Low Debt?

Gordon State College

Barnesville, GA

Barnesville, GA

Does #93 feel right for Low Debt?

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

Chapel Hill, NC

Does #94 feel right for Low Debt?

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Durant, OK

Durant, OK

Does #95 feel right for Low Debt?

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

Bothell, WA

Bothell, WA

Does #96 feel right for Low Debt?

University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX

Dallas, TX

Does #97 feel right for Low Debt?

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville, FL

Does #98 feel right for Low Debt?

Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA

Tifton, GA

Does #99 feel right for Low Debt?

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA

San Jose, CA

Does #100 feel right for Low Debt?

University of California-Irvine

Irvine, CA

Irvine, CA

College Index

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Last updated: July 2026