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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 511 | Xavier University of Louisiana Louisiana | D | $24,053 | $273 | $52,184 | 1.9 yrs |
| 512 | Western Connecticut State University Connecticut | C | $24,147 | $275 | $59,115 | 1.2 yrs |
| 513 | Loyola University Chicago Illinois | B | $24,157 | $275 | $71,530 | 0.8 yrs |
| 514 | Mercer University Georgia | C | $24,199 | $275 | $58,354 | 1.3 yrs |
| 515 | University of Tampa Florida | C | $24,211 | $275 | $59,436 | 1.2 yrs |
| 516 | Northeastern University Massachusetts | A | $24,250 | $276 | $92,538 | 0.5 yrs |
| 517 | University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Pennsylvania | B | $24,250 | $276 | $66,125 | 0.9 yrs |
| 518 | University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Pennsylvania | B | $24,250 | $276 | $66,125 | 0.9 yrs |
| 519 | Canisius University New York | C | $24,250 | $276 | $60,681 | 1.2 yrs |
| 520 | Indiana Wesleyan University, Marion Indiana | C | $24,250 | $276 | $59,986 | 1.2 yrs |
| 521 | Nova Southeastern University Florida | C | $24,250 | $276 | $59,209 | 1.2 yrs |
| 522 | Eastern Connecticut State University Connecticut | C | $24,250 | $276 | $56,469 | 1.4 yrs |
| 523 | Abilene Christian University Texas | C | $24,250 | $276 | $55,736 | 1.5 yrs |
| 524 | Thomas College Maine | F | $24,250 | $276 | $44,991 | 4.4 yrs |
| 525 | Bard College New York | F | $24,254 | $276 | $46,543 | 3.5 yrs |
| 526 | University of South Carolina - Aiken South Carolina | F | $24,275 | $276 | $45,603 | 4 yrs |
| 527 | Fordham University New York | A | $24,300 | $276 | $85,569 | 0.5 yrs |
| 528 | Temple University Pennsylvania | C | $24,395 | $277 | $63,727 | 1 yrs |
| 529 | Gonzaga University Washington | B | $24,454 | $278 | $78,892 | 0.6 yrs |
| 530 | William Jewell College Missouri | C | $24,498 | $279 | $59,268 | 1.2 yrs |
| 531 | University of Maine at Farmington Maine | F | $24,499 | $279 | $44,433 | 5 yrs |
| 532 | Howard University District of Columbia | C | $24,500 | $279 | $63,066 | 1 yrs |
| 533 | Austin College Texas | C | $24,500 | $279 | $61,296 | 1.1 yrs |
| 534 | Grand Valley State University Michigan | C | $24,500 | $279 | $56,118 | 1.5 yrs |
| 535 | Liberty University Virginia | F | $24,500 | $279 | $44,813 | 4.6 yrs |
| 536 | Regent University Virginia | F | $24,534 | $279 | $44,498 | 4.9 yrs |
| 537 | University of Delaware Delaware | B | $24,572 | $279 | $72,950 | 0.7 yrs |
| 538 | High Point University North Carolina | C | $24,575 | $279 | $61,389 | 1.1 yrs |
| 539 | University of Evansville Indiana | D | $24,606 | $280 | $53,770 | 1.7 yrs |
| 540 | Valdosta State University Georgia | D | $24,779 | $282 | $49,361 | 2.5 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.