Lowest Student Debt 2026
Schools where graduates carry the least student loan debt
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.
Source measurement years vary and may precede the ranking edition. The update date records the published dataset, not when every outcome was measured.
See exact overall weights and a worked exampleWhat 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.
Top 100 low debt results
Sorted by College Index's low debt score. The displayed list index rescales the leading score to 100; equal rounded scores may have different sequential ranks.
Berea College
Berea, KY
University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
Arecibo, PR
Atlantic University
Guaynabo, PR
University of Puerto Rico
Bayamon, PR
University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo
Fajardo, PR
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Cayey, PR
University of Puerto Rico at Ponce
Ponce, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
Mercedita, PR
University of Puerto Rico-Humacao
Humacao, PR
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras
San Juan, PR
University of Puerto Rico-Carolina
Carolina, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German
San German, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon
Bayamon, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
Arecibo, PR
CUNY Lehman College
Bronx, NY
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY
CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY
CUNY Hunter College
New York, NY
CUNY New York City College of Technology
Brooklyn, NY
CUNY Queens College
Queens, NY
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
New York, NY
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus
San Juan, PR
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR
CUNY Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, NY
CUNY City College
New York, NY
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus
Gurabo, PR
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro
San Juan, PR
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, TX
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus
Carolina, PR
CUNY York College
Jamaica, NY
Dalton State College
Dalton, GA
Texas A & M International University
Laredo, TX
California State University-Stanislaus
Turlock, CA
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA
California State University-Northridge
Northridge, CA
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT
Ana G. Mendez University
Orlando, FL
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM
College of Staten Island CUNY
Staten Island, NY
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Ponce
Ponce, PR
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
California State University-Monterey Bay
Seaside, CA
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, CA
California State University-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, HI
Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Rice University
Houston, TX
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT
Universidad del Sagrado Corazon
Santurce, PR
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
California State University-Channel Islands
Camarillo, CA
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, NY
Texas A&M University-Central Texas
Killeen, TX
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA
Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe
Tempe, AZ
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KY
Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
University of California-Merced
Merced, CA
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, TX
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, NY
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY
University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, FL
University of Hawaii-West Oahu
Kapolei, HI
University of the Virgin Islands
Charlotte Amalie, VI
Florida Polytechnic University
Lakeland, FL
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, NM
Mississippi University for Women
Columbus, MS
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA
The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
University of Guam
Mangilao, GU
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, CA
Indiana University-Kokomo
Kokomo, IN
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Florida International University
Miami, FL
Gordon State College
Barnesville, GA
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Durant, OK
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA
University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA
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