This study documents the student loan debt of recent college graduates.
- New data from the U.S. Department of Education reveal the typical student loan debt of recent college graduates.
- Median student loan debt varies by credential: associate degree ($14,000), bachelor’s degree ($23,000), master’s degree ($40,000), professional degree ($142,000), and doctoral degree ($73,000).
- We report median student loan debt by academic field (4-digit CIP code) and credential.
- We document which of the largest academic fields and degrees had the biggest growth or decline in student loan debt.
- Graduates from for-profit colleges generally have the highest student loan debt, followed by graduates from private nonprofits, and then graduates from public colleges.