With college students preparing for the fall semester and 10.7 percent of all student loans 90+ days delinquent or in default as of Q1 2018, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2018’s States with the Most and Least Student Debt.

States with the Most Student Debt 

1 South Dakota

2 West Virginia

3 Pennsylvania

4 New Hampshire

5 Ohio

6 Mississippi

7 Michigan

8 Minnesota

9 Iowa

10 Indiana

 States with the Least Student Debt

42 Nevada

43 Maryland

44 Florida

45 Alaska

46 Arizona

47 Washington

48 California

49 Wyoming

50 Hawaii

51 Utah

Best vs. Worst

• Utah has the lowest average student debt, $19,975, which is 1.8 times lower than in New Hampshire, the state with the highest at $36,367. Utah has the lowest proportion of students with debt, 43 percent, which is 1.8 times lower than in West Virginia, the state with the highest at 77 percent. 
• Massachusetts has the lowest share of student loans in past-due or default status, 7.44 percent, which is 2.3 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest at 16.84 percent. 
• Hawaii has the lowest share of student-loan borrowers aged 50 or older, 3.86 percent, which is 2.6 times lower than in Vermont, the state with the highest at 10.03 percent.

To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit: https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-states-for-student-debt/7520/ It is critical to take into account expected student loan burdens as part of your college application strategy. 

In some states, 10% of people over the age of 50 still carry a student loan balance.  You do not want this statistic to apply to you or your child.  As part of our school list strategy, we identify colleges that may provide full tuition scholarships based on SAT/ACT scores and grades along with more affordable public school options.  Play the long game when applying and ensure that your school list is tied to your long-term financial health.