The value of outstanding student loans in the United States has ballooned since the first quarter of 2006. As of the fourth quarter of 2024, American students owed over **** trillion U.S. dollars in student loans. In the first quarter of 2006, this figure stood at ***** billion U.S. dollars.

Graph and download economic data for Student Loans Owned and Securitized (DISCONTINUED) (SLOAS) from Q1 2006 to Q4 2024 about student, securitized, owned, loans, and USA.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S government paused payments on federal student loans starting on March 13, 2020, moving billions of dollars of student debt into forbearance. Forbearance means that no payments need to be made, with the interest rate set to zero percent. In the second quarter of 2022 and 2023, the majority of federal student loans remained in forbearance, totaling over 1000 billion U.S. dollars. However, loan repayments and interest rates restarted in October 2023, lowering the amount of student loans in forbearance to **** billion U.S. dollars as of Q2 2024.

Debt Balance Student Loans in the United States increased to 1.65 Trillion USD in the third quarter of 2025 from 1.64 Trillion USD in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United States Debt Balance Student Loans.

In 2024, the average student loan debt of graduates of Northwestern University, ranked as the 6th best college in the United States, amounted to 36,425 U.S. dollars. For students at Princeton University, classified as the best U.S. college in that year, they left college with student loan debt totaling 17,494 U.S. dollars on average.

In 2024, Generation Z in the United States had an average of roughly ****** U.S. dollars in student loan debt. By contrast, Generation X had the highest student loan debt, amounting to approximately ****** U.S. dollars. The value of outstanding student loans has been consistently rising over the past few decades.

Graph and download economic data for Federal Government; Consumer Credit, Student Loans; Asset, Level (FGCCSAQ027S) from Q4 1945 to Q2 2025 about student, consumer credit, IMA, federal, loans, assets, government, consumer, and USA.

The schools that create the most student debt

The top 10 schools for student loan debt in the United States

By Andy Kriebel [source]

About this dataset

This dataset contains information on the amount of student loan debt originated by schools in the United States for the 2020-2021 academic year. The data includes the school name, city, state, zip code, school type, loan type, number of recipients, number of loans originated, amount of money loaned, and number of disbursements

How to use the dataset

There are a few things to keep in mind when using this dataset:

• The data is for the 2020-2021 academic year.
• The data is for student loan debt originated by schools in the United States.
• The data is sorted by school.
• The columns of interest are: School, City, State, Zip Code, School Type, Loan Type, Recipients, # of Loans Originated, $ of Loans Originated, # of Disbursements, and $ of Disbursements

Research Ideas

• The dataset can be used to calculate the amount of loan debt originated by each type of school.
• The dataset can be used to calculate the amount of loan debt originated by each state.
• The dataset can be used to help students estimate their future student loan debt

Acknowledgements

The data for this visualization comes from the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System through the Department of Education

Data Source

License

License: Dataset copyright by authors - You are free to: - Share - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially. - Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. - You must: - Give appropriate credit - Provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. - ShareAlike - You must distribute your contributions under the same license as the original. - Keep intact - all notices that refer to this license, including copyright notices.

Columns

File: Student Loan Debt by School 2020-2021.csv | Column name | Description | |:--------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------| | School | The name of the school. (String) | | City | The city where the school is located. (String) | | State | The state where the school is located. (String) | | Zip Code | The zip code of the school. (String) | | School Type | The type of school. (String) | | Loan Type | The type of loan. (String) | | Recipients | The number of recipients of the loan. (Integer) | | # of Loans Originated | The number of loans originated. (Integer) | | $ of Loans Originated | The amount of money originated in loans. (Float) | | # of Disbursements | The number of disbursements. (Integer) | | $ of Disbursements | The amount of money disbursed. (Float) |

Acknowledgements

If you use this dataset in your research, please credit Andy Kriebel.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, ***** billion U.S. dollars worth of student loans were in forbearance in the United States. This reflects the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, where the government temporarily paused student loan payments and froze the accumulation of interest. Federal student loan repayments resumed in October 2023, with *** billion U.S. dollars worth of student loans in repayment as of ** 2024. During this time period, outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. totaled over **** trillion U.S. dollars.

As of 2020, ** percent of the general population in the United States had no student debt. Over *** percent held up to 25,000 U.S. dollars in debt from student loans.

College Scorecard

The College Scorecard dataset is provided by the U.S. Department of Education and contains information on nearly every college and university in the United States. The dataset includes data on student loan repayment rates, graduation rates, affordability, earnings after graduation, and more. The goal of this dataset is to help students make informed decisions about their college choice by providing them with clear and concise information about each school's performance

How to use the dataset

This dataset can help understand the cost of attending college in the United States, as well as the average debt load for students. It can also be used to compare different schools in terms of their graduation rates and repayment rates

Columns

• UNITID: Unit ID for institution
• INSTNM: Institution name
• CITY: City
• STABBR: State
• ZIP: Zip code
• OPEID: OPE ID for institution
• OPEID6: OPE ID for institution (6-digit)
• ACCREDAGENCY: Accrediting Agency
• INSTURL: Institution URL
• NPCURL: Net Price Calculator URL
• SCH_DEG: Highest degree awarded
• HCM2: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Basic
• MAIN: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Main
• NUMBRANCH: Number of branch campuses
• PREDDEG: Predominant degree awarded
• HIGHDEG: Highest degree awarded
• CONTROL: Control of institution
• ST_FIPS: State FIPS code
• REGION: Region
• LOCALE: Locale code
• LOCALE2: Locale code (multiple categories per state)
• CCBASIC: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Basic
• CCMAIN: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Main
• CCUGPROF: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Undergraduate Profile
• CCSIZSET: Carnegie Classification 2010:** Size and Setting
• HBCU: Historically Black College or University
• PBI: Predominantly Black Institution
• ANNHI: Tribal College or University
• TRIBAL: Tribal College or University (Public)
• AANAPII: Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution
• HSIP: Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI)
• NANTI: Native American-Serving Nontribal Institution
• MENONLY: Men only
• WOMENONLY: Women only
• RELAFFIL: Religious affiliation
• DISTANCEONLY: Distance-only
• CURROPER: Currently operating
• VETERAN: Veteran-supportive
• LIMDEP: Limited-degree-granting
• HIGHDEG_GRANTED: Highest degree granted
• PS: Predominantly two-year public
• UGRD_ENRL_TOTAL: Undergraduate total enrollment
• GRAD_ENRL_TOTAL: Graduate total enrollment
• UGRD_ENRL_ORIG_YR2_RT: Undergraduate, first-time, first-year retention rate (%)

Acknowledgements

This data was originally collected by the US Department of Education and made available on their website. Thank you to the US Department of Education for making this data available!

As of Q4 2024, Americans aged 50 to 61 years had the highest average student loan debt balance among all age groups, averaging ********* U.S. dollars of student debt per borrower. In comparison, Americans who were 24 years and younger had an average student debt balance of ********* U.S. dollars.

This comprehensive dataset 📊🇺🇸 takes you on a captivating journey through the world of student loans in the USA. 🎓💸💼 Dive into the numbers and explore the evolving landscape of student borrowing over the years. 📈🔍 Gain insights into the trends, challenges, and impact of student loans on American graduates, shedding light on the pursuit of higher education and its financial implications. 🎓💰🌟 Uncover valuable information that can shape policies, inspire research, and drive discussions surrounding student loan debt in the United States. 📚💡💼 Whether you're an analyst, researcher, or simply curious about the topic, this dataset will equip you with the knowledge to understand and navigate the complexities of student loans in the USA. 🎓💼🔍

In recent years, economists and policymakers have been interested in the burden of student debt across socioeconomic groups. In this Economic Commentary , we use the two most recent waves of the Survey of Consumer Finances, collected in 2019 and 2022, to study changes in the joint distribution of student debt and two measures of “ability-to-pay,” income and net worth. We find that between 2019 and 2022, both the fraction of families with student debt and real student debt per family were essentially unchanged, and aggregate student debt fell as a fraction of aggregate income and net worth. However, over the same period, the distribution of student debt shifted toward higher-income and wealthier families, with a rise in the average student debt in the highest quintile of both income and net worth. Further, this shift was not driven by changes in the distribution of debtors, but, instead, in the amount of debt per family.

The global educational debt recovery services market is experiencing robust growth, driven by the increasing prevalence of student loans and the rising cost of higher education worldwide. The market's expansion is fueled by several factors, including a greater emphasis on efficient debt collection practices by educational institutions and lenders, the adoption of advanced technologies like AI and machine learning for debt recovery, and a growing need for specialized services to handle the complexities of student loan repayment. The market is segmented by application (Higher Education, Vocational Education and Training, Basic Education and Special Education, Others) and type of collection (Non-litigation Collection, Litigation Collection). While non-litigation methods remain prevalent due to cost-effectiveness, litigation-based recovery is gaining traction for complex cases and high-value debts. North America currently holds a significant market share, owing to the high volume of student loans and established debt recovery infrastructure. However, Asia-Pacific is poised for significant growth, fueled by expanding access to higher education and a burgeoning middle class. The competitive landscape includes both established players like STA International and Cedar Financial, and specialized niche firms focusing on specific educational segments. Market consolidation through mergers and acquisitions is likely, driven by the need for increased operational efficiency and expanded service offerings. The forecast period (2025-2033) anticipates continued expansion, although the CAGR might moderate slightly from the historical growth rate as market maturity progresses. However, factors like government policies affecting student loan forgiveness or repayment plans, alongside technological advancements and evolving regulatory environments, will significantly influence the market trajectory. The key challenge remains balancing efficient debt collection with ethical considerations and protecting the rights of borrowers. Companies will need to invest in technology and develop sophisticated strategies to manage the diverse needs of borrowers and educational institutions effectively. Successful players will demonstrate compliance, transparency, and a focus on customer-centric solutions to navigate the ethical complexities of debt recovery. The overall market outlook remains optimistic, given the sustained growth in student loan debt globally and the growing need for professional debt recovery services.

United States HH Debt: Balance: Delinquent Loan: More Than 90 Days: Student Loan data was reported at 10.750 % in Mar 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.060 % for Dec 2019. United States HH Debt: Balance: Delinquent Loan: More Than 90 Days: Student Loan data is updated quarterly, averaging 8.960 % from Mar 2003 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 69 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.830 % in Sep 2013 and a record low of 6.032 % in Mar 2005. United States HH Debt: Balance: Delinquent Loan: More Than 90 Days: Student Loan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB027: Household Debt.

Over 44.7 million Americans carry student loan debt, with the total amount valued at approximately $1.31 trillion (Quarterly Report, 2019). Ergo, consumer spending, a factor of GDP, is stifled and negatively impacts the economy (Frizell, 2014, p. 22). This study examined the relationship between student loan debt and the probability of a recession in the near future, as well as the effects of proposed student loan forgiveness policies through the use of a created model. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’s website (FRED) was used to extract data regarding total GDP per quarter and student loan debt per quarter ("Federal Reserve Economic Data," 2019). Through the combination of the student loan debt per quarter and total GDP per quarter datasets, the percentage of total GDP composed of student loan debt per quarter was calculated and fitted to a logistic curve. Future quarterly values for total GDP and the percentage of total GDP composed by student loan debt per quarter were found through Long Short Term Models and Euler’s Method, respectively. Through the creation of a probability of recession index, the probability of recession per quarter was compared to the percentage of total GDP composed by student loan debt per quarter to construct an exponential regression model. Utilizing a primarily quantitative method of analysis, the percentage of total GDP composed by student loan debt per quarter was found to be strongly associated[p < 1.26696* 10-8]with the probability of recession per quarter(p(R)), with the p(R) tending to peak as the percentage of total GDP composed of student loan debt per quarter strayed away from the carrying capacity of the logistic curve. Inputting the student loan debt forgiveness policies of potential congressional bills proposed by lawmakers found that eliminating 49.7 % and 36.7% of student loan debt would reduce the recession probabilities to be 1.73545*10-29% and 9.74474*10-25%, respectively.

Student Loan Refinancing Platform Market Outlook

According to our latest research, the global student loan refinancing platform market size reached USD 6.48 billion in 2024, reflecting a robust expansion driven by the increasing demand for flexible student debt solutions. The market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% from 2025 to 2033, resulting in a forecasted market size of USD 15.64 billion by 2033. This impressive growth is primarily fueled by the rising student debt burden, evolving digital lending technologies, and the growing awareness among borrowers about the benefits of refinancing. As per our latest research, the market continues to witness heightened innovation and partnerships, particularly across North America and Europe, as stakeholders strive to meet the evolving needs of students, parents, and educational institutions.

One of the primary growth drivers of the student loan refinancing platform market is the escalating global student debt crisis. With total student loan debt surpassing USD 1.8 trillion globally in 2024, borrowers are increasingly seeking alternatives to reduce their financial burden. Refinancing platforms offer competitive interest rates, flexible repayment terms, and better customer experiences compared to traditional lenders. This shift is particularly pronounced in developed economies, where the high cost of education and limited government support have made refinancing an attractive option. The proliferation of fintech companies and digital lending platforms has further accelerated market growth by streamlining the application process and enhancing transparency, thereby fostering borrower trust and engagement.

Another significant factor contributing to the market's expansion is the widespread adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics. These technologies enable platforms to offer personalized loan products, automate underwriting processes, and improve risk assessment, resulting in faster approvals and more favorable terms for borrowers. Cloud-based deployment has also become increasingly prevalent, allowing providers to scale their operations efficiently and deliver seamless digital experiences. Furthermore, regulatory support in certain regions, including revised credit assessment norms and borrower protection policies, has encouraged both traditional financial institutions and fintech disruptors to invest in student loan refinancing solutions, thereby intensifying competition and innovation.

The growing awareness among students, parents, and educational institutions regarding the long-term benefits of student loan refinancing is another key market catalyst. Educational institutions are increasingly partnering with refinancing platforms to offer tailored financial literacy programs and refinancing options to their alumni and current students. Parents, who often co-sign or take out loans for their childrenÂ’s education, are also leveraging these platforms to secure better rates and terms. The integration of refinancing services with broader financial wellness initiatives and employer benefit programs is further expanding the marketÂ’s reach. As more stakeholders recognize the potential for cost savings and improved financial outcomes, the adoption of student loan refinancing platforms is expected to accelerate in the coming years.

The concept of Student Loan ABS (Asset-Backed Securities) is gaining traction as a financial instrument that allows lenders to bundle student loans and sell them as securities to investors. This process not only provides liquidity to lenders but also distributes the risk associated with student loans among a broader base of investors. As the student loan refinancing market continues to expand, the role of Student Loan ABS in providing capital to refinance platforms is becoming increasingly significant. By securitizing these loans, lenders can free up capital to issue new loans, thereby supporting the growth of the student loan market. The development of a robust Student Loan ABS market could also lead to more competitive interest rates and better terms for borrowers, as lenders seek to attract investors with high-quality loan portfolios.

From a regional perspective, North America remains the largest and most mature market for student loan refinancing platforms, accou

HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Student Loan data was reported at 9.050 % in Mar 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.440 % for Dec 2019. HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Student Loan data is updated quarterly, averaging 9.878 % from Mar 2004 (Median) to Mar 2020, with 65 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.624 % in Mar 2013 and a record low of 7.200 % in Jun 2004. HH Debt: Balance: New Delinquent Loan: Student Loan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.KB027: Household Debt.

Key information about United States Household Debt

• United States Household Debt reached 18,585.0 USD bn in Sep 2025, compared with the reported number of 18,388.0 USD bn in the previous quarter
• US Household Debt: USD mn data is updated quarterly, available from Mar 1999 to Sep 2025
• The data reached an all-time high of 18,585.0 USD bn in Sep 2025 and a record low of 4,540.0 USD bn in Mar 1999

• In the latest reports, United States Household Debt accounted for 61.4 % of the country's Nominal GDP in Jun 2025
• Money Supply M2 in United States increased 22,298.1 USD bn YoY in Oct 2025
• United States Foreign Exchange Reserves was measured at 38.3 USD bn in Oct 2025
• The Foreign Exchange Reserves equaled 0.1 Months of Import in Aug 2025
• United States Domestic Credit reached 31,813.3 USD bn in Mar 2025, representing an increased of 4.0 % YoY