Ordered by median federal debt at graduation — smallest loan first, with what graduates go on to earn beside it. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,089 against $22,500 of debt.
| # | University | Grade | You borrow | Monthly | You earn | Debt clears in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 631 | York College of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania | C | $26,000 | $296 | $61,012 | 1.2 yrs |
| 632 | Presbyterian College South Carolina | C | $26,000 | $296 | $60,194 | 1.3 yrs |
| 633 | Simpson College | C | $26,000 | $296 | $59,274 | 1.3 yrs |
| 634 | Oberlin College | C | $26,000 | $296 | $58,343 | 1.4 yrs |
| 635 | Loras College | C | $26,000 | $296 | $58,289 | 1.4 yrs |
| 636 | Plymouth State University New Hampshire | C | $26,000 | $296 | $57,304 | 1.5 yrs |
| 637 | St. Bonaventure University | C | $26,000 | $296 | $57,214 | 1.5 yrs |
| 638 | LeTourneau University | C | $26,000 | $296 | $57,103 | 1.5 yrs |
| 639 | Carthage College | C | $26,000 | $296 | $56,950 | 1.5 yrs |
| 640 | Lawrence University | C | $26,000 | $296 | $55,789 | 1.6 yrs |
| 641 | Alfred University | D | $26,000 | $296 | $54,897 | 1.7 yrs |
| 642 | Wisconsin Lutheran College | D | $26,000 | $296 | $54,664 | 1.7 yrs |
| 643 | Pratt Institute | D | $26,000 | $296 | $54,295 | 1.8 yrs |
| 644 | The Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | D | $26,000 | $296 | $53,775 | 1.8 yrs |
| 645 | Bridgewater College | D | $26,000 | $296 | $53,453 | 1.9 yrs |
| 646 | Lindenwood University | D | $26,000 | $296 | $53,278 | 1.9 yrs |
| 647 | Andrews University | D | $26,000 | $296 | $53,187 | 1.9 yrs |
| 648 | Goucher College | D | $26,000 | $296 | $53,023 | 1.9 yrs |
| 649 | Delaware State University | D | $26,000 | $296 | $49,307 | 2.7 yrs |
| 650 | Oklahoma Christian University | F | $26,000 | $296 | $49,203 | 2.7 yrs |
| 651 | Rocky Mountain College | F | $26,000 | $296 | $49,036 | 2.7 yrs |
| 652 | Guilford College | F | $26,000 | $296 | $47,590 | 3.2 yrs |
| 653 | Black Hills State University | F | $26,000 | $296 | $46,674 | 3.6 yrs |
| 654 | Davenport University Michigan | F | $26,000 | $296 | $45,099 | 4.7 yrs |
| 655 | Columbus State University | F | $26,000 | $296 | $44,544 | 5.2 yrs |
| 656 | Mount Saint Mary College | B | $26,007 | $296 | $67,705 | 0.9 yrs |
| 657 | California Baptist University | C | $26,063 | $296 | $61,504 | 1.2 yrs |
| 658 | Kalamazoo College | C | $26,077 | $296 | $65,590 | 1 yrs |
| 659 | Rider University | C | $26,130 | $297 | $62,208 | 1.2 yrs |
| 660 | Midland University Nebraska | D | $26,134 | $297 | $52,163 | 2.1 yrs |
A university can leave students with little debt because it is genuinely affordable — strong institutional aid, low in-state tuition — or because so few of its students borrow that the median falls to a handful of cases. The earnings column beside it is what separates the two.
It counts federal loans only. Private loans, credit cards and parent borrowing sit outside the dataset, so a family that financed college another way appears here as low debt.
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.