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 $57,146 against $22,500 of debt.
| # | University | Grade | You borrow | Monthly | You earn | Debt clears in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 271 | Belmont University Tennessee | C | $20,500 | $233 | $55,930 | 1.3 yrs |
| 272 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Illinois | C | $20,500 | $233 | $56,346 | 1.2 yrs |
| 273 | Rhode Island College Rhode Island | C | $20,500 | $233 | $56,318 | 1.2 yrs |
| 274 | University of Texas at San Antonio Texas | C | $20,500 | $233 | $57,131 | 1.2 yrs |
| 275 | Oklahoma State University Oklahoma | C | $20,500 | $233 | $57,413 | 1.2 yrs |
| 276 | University of Minnesota - Crookston Minnesota | C | $20,500 | $233 | $58,056 | 1.1 yrs |
| 277 | Portland State University Oregon | C | $20,500 | $233 | $57,906 | 1.1 yrs |
| 278 | Augusta University Georgia | D | $20,500 | $233 | $48,472 | 2.3 yrs |
| 279 | University of Texas at Austin Texas | A | $20,500 | $233 | $75,121 | 0.6 yrs |
| 280 | University of Tennessee, Knoxville Tennessee | C | $20,500 | $233 | $60,249 | 1 yrs |
| 281 | University of Hawaii at Hilo Hawaii | D | $20,500 | $233 | $47,856 | 2.5 yrs |
| 282 | University of Mary Washington Virginia | C | $20,500 | $233 | $60,613 | 1 yrs |
| 283 | Austin Peay State University Tennessee | F | $20,547 | $234 | $44,301 | 4.3 yrs |
| 284 | Walden University Minnesota | F | $20,834 | $237 | $42,810 | 6.3 yrs |
| 285 | Oklahoma City University Oklahoma | C | $20,835 | $237 | $54,655 | 1.4 yrs |
| 286 | Franklin University Ohio | C | $20,836 | $237 | $51,892 | 1.7 yrs |
| 287 | Loma Linda University California | A | $20,854 | $237 | $89,816 | 0.4 yrs |
| 288 | University of the Ozarks Arkansas | F | $20,875 | $237 | $44,384 | 4.3 yrs |
| 289 | State University of New York at Oswego New York | C | $20,880 | $237 | $57,566 | 1.2 yrs |
| 290 | Georgia State University Georgia | D | $20,903 | $238 | $47,384 | 2.7 yrs |
| 291 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Wisconsin | C | $20,909 | $238 | $58,561 | 1.1 yrs |
| 292 | University of Vermont Vermont | B | $20,951 | $238 | $62,472 | 0.9 yrs |
| 293 | Southwest Baptist University Missouri | F | $20,957 | $238 | $43,112 | 5.8 yrs |
| 294 | Fort Hays State University Kansas | D | $21,000 | $239 | $48,928 | 2.2 yrs |
| 295 | Ferris State University Michigan | C | $21,000 | $239 | $54,735 | 1.4 yrs |
| 296 | Truman State University Missouri | C | $21,000 | $239 | $56,280 | 1.3 yrs |
| 297 | Auburn University Alabama | B | $21,000 | $239 | $65,337 | 0.8 yrs |
| 298 | Arkansas Tech University Arkansas | F | $21,000 | $239 | $41,766 | 9.4 yrs |
| 299 | University of Richmond Virginia | A | $21,000 | $239 | $76,178 | 0.6 yrs |
| 300 | New Jersey Institute of Technology New Jersey | A | $21,000 | $239 | $84,276 | 0.5 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.