In January, the Department of Education unveiled details of a repayment plan overhaul that could halve monthly payments for many federal student loan borrowers. But one group, the 3.7 million parents who owe parent PLUS loans, won’t benefit. Policymakers have long excluded parent PLUS loans from most relief, though the program looks much different today than it did during its 1980 debut.
While parent PLUS loans were initially intended as a tool for well-off families, says Robert Kelchen, a higher education professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, they’ve increasingly become the loan of last resort for lower-income families. Parents, who can borrow up to the total cost of attendance per child (minus other federal aid) with PLUS loans, use the loans to fill funding gaps after their student hits the borrowing limit of no more than $7,500 per year from the government.
Parent PLUS loans come with higher interest rates and higher origination fees than undergraduate federal student loans, further accelerating the debt pileup. In total, parent PLUS loan borrowers have racked up $108.5 billion in loans — more than $29,000 per borrower on average.
“These are intergenerational debts,” says Alpha Taylor, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center in Washington, D.C., focused on student loans. “The parents have their own student loans, so they have their own debt that they’re carrying. And on top of that, they’re carrying their children’s debt, and the children are also in debt.”
Though the latest payment plan overhaul won’t help, there are other options to get debt relief for parent PLUS loans.

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Permanent federal relief programs
- Income-contingent repayment: An income-driven repayment plan extends your loan term, can lower your monthly payments and can lead to forgiveness. Four income-driven repayment plans are available for federal student loans, but parent PLUS loan borrowers are eligible for only the Income-Contingent Repayment plan. Payments are capped at 20% of a borrower’s monthly discretionary income for 25 years. Any remaining debt is forgiven after that time. You must consolidate your parent PLUS loans before you can sign up.
- Public service loan forgiveness: Parents who work for nonprofits and government sectors may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which forgives remaining debt after a decade of repayment. Borrowers must consolidate their parent PLUS loan into a direct loan and sign up for Income-Contingent Repayment before applying for PSLF. The parent who originally took out the loan must work for a qualifying employer.
- Deferment or forbearance: Payments on all federal student loans are expected to resume this summer, but borrowers can still request payment pauses — known as deferment or forbearance — if they face financial hardships. Consider other relief options first: Interest will accumulate during these pauses, and it will be added to your principal loan balance once payments restart. “You can have a situation where you’re spending more time paying off interest than paying down the principal,” Taylor cautions.
Temporary pandemic-tied relief
- Student debt cancellation: Some parent PLUS loan borrowers would qualify for student debt cancellation under President Joe Biden’s proposal, which remains in legal limbo. Single parents who earn up to $125,000 per year and married parents earning up to $250,000 per year stand to have $10,000 in debt erased. Parents who received a Pell Grant to pay for their college education would get an additional $10,000 wiped from their balance. The Supreme Court is expected to announce a final decision on Biden’s plan by late June.
- Income-driven repayment account adjustment, or waiver: Starting this spring, a one-time automatic income-driven repayment account adjustment from the Education Department will give borrowers credit for any month the loan has been in repayment, forbearance or deferment, moving some parent PLUS loan borrowers closer to forgiveness. Contact your student loan servicer and ask about enrolling in the Income-Contingent Repayment plan as soon as possible to take full advantage of the waiver.
Bankruptcy
Government guidance released in November aims to make it easier for borrowers to get student loans discharged in bankruptcy. Most borrowers with long-term parent PLUS loans who are considering bankruptcy to get relief should wait until the income-driven repayment waiver is applied before pursuing bankruptcy, says Stanley Tate, a Missouri-based bankruptcy lawyer who specializes in student loans. The waiver could wipe out their loan automatically if they’ve been in repayment for over two decades.
However, it may be worth exploring bankruptcy now “if you’re someone who can’t afford Income-Contingent Repayment, you’ve had the loans for over a decade (and) you’re closer to your retirement than you are to the beginning of your work history,” Tate says.
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Nirat.pix // Shutterstock
In August 2022, President Biden announced his plan for student loan forgiveness, garnering elation from many borrowers and criticism from those who felt the measure did not go far enough to alleviate the financial burden. However, the plan's rollout did not go smoothly. As millions of borrowers' applications flooded in — and the student loan debt crisis surpassed $1.74 trillion — student loan forgiveness is projected to hit a snag — or several.
Several court cases have continued to stall forgiveness efforts, tying up the execution of debt cancellation in legal purgatory. The sheer volume of applications has also created a backlog of roughly 2 million candidates, resulting in wait times exceeding three months. Further delaying the loan forgiveness process for many applicants are ongoing proceedings in a $6 billion settlement against a group of colleges, many of which are private for-profit institutions accused of defrauding students and other misconduct. Several colleges named in the settlement have appealed the decision.
As college enrollment continues to decline due to various factors — lack of affordability, fear of taking on debt, and doubts about the value of a degree, among others — making an informed decision about which college to attend has taken on an even greater sense of urgency. Stacker ranked the 35 colleges with the highest median debt after graduation, using Department of Education data on more than 5,200 U.S. colleges for the 2020-21 school year.
This analysis only includes loans accumulated while at the school awarding the graduation credentials — it doesn't include private loans, parent loans, or loans originated at other schools for transfer students. Average annual costs, compiled by the DOE, include tuition, housing, materials, and fees, minus the average grants and scholarships awarded. They are listed, along with estimated enrollment, but don't factor into the ranking.
Many schools on the list are private for-profit schools, which have long been embroiled in accusations of predatory lending behavior. Religious schools and art and design institutions are also frequent additions. Only one school on the list is a public university.
Read on to find out where college graduates accrue the most student debt.
​​You may also like: Most liberal colleges in America

Nirat.pix // Shutterstock
In August 2022, President Biden announced his plan for student loan forgiveness, garnering elation from many borrowers and criticism from those who felt the measure did not go far enough to alleviate the financial burden. However, the plan's rollout did not go smoothly. As millions of borrowers' applications flooded in — and the student loan debt crisis surpassed $1.74 trillion — student loan forgiveness is projected to hit a snag — or several.
Several court cases have continued to stall forgiveness efforts, tying up the execution of debt cancellation in legal purgatory. The sheer volume of applications has also created a backlog of roughly 2 million candidates, resulting in wait times exceeding three months. Further delaying the loan forgiveness process for many applicants are ongoing proceedings in a $6 billion settlement against a group of colleges, many of which are private for-profit institutions accused of defrauding students and other misconduct. Several colleges named in the settlement have appealed the decision.
As college enrollment continues to decline due to various factors — lack of affordability, fear of taking on debt, and doubts about the value of a degree, among others — making an informed decision about which college to attend has taken on an even greater sense of urgency. Stacker ranked the 35 colleges with the highest median debt after graduation, using Department of Education data on more than 5,200 U.S. colleges for the 2020-21 school year.
This analysis only includes loans accumulated while at the school awarding the graduation credentials — it doesn't include private loans, parent loans, or loans originated at other schools for transfer students. Average annual costs, compiled by the DOE, include tuition, housing, materials, and fees, minus the average grants and scholarships awarded. They are listed, along with estimated enrollment, but don't factor into the ranking.
Many schools on the list are private for-profit schools, which have long been embroiled in accusations of predatory lending behavior. Religious schools and art and design institutions are also frequent additions. Only one school on the list is a public university.
Read on to find out where college graduates accrue the most student debt.
​​You may also like: Most liberal colleges in America

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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Infrogmation of New Orleans // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $31,250
- Average annual cost: $19,105
Infrogmation of New Orleans // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $31,250
- Average annual cost: $19,105
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $31,250
- Average annual cost: $25,714
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $31,417
- Average annual cost: $17,618
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Mark Makela // Getty Images
- Median student debt at graduation: $31,450
- Average annual cost: $16,397
Mark Makela // Getty Images
- Median student debt at graduation: $31,450
- Average annual cost: $16,397
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $31,802
- Average annual cost: $20,987
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
2C2K Photography // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,100
- Average annual cost: $13,382
2C2K Photography // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,100
- Average annual cost: $13,382
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Eric Glenn // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,421
- Average annual cost: $52,572
Eric Glenn // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,421
- Average annual cost: $52,572
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $32,500
- Average annual cost: $24,161
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Ncpappy // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,875
- Average annual cost: $17,593
Ncpappy // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,875
- Average annual cost: $17,593
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Canva
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,937
- Average annual cost: $11,683
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Archipedia // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,985
- Average annual cost: $37,654
Archipedia // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $32,985
- Average annual cost: $37,654
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Robert P. Collins // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,000
- Average annual cost: $14,912
Robert P. Collins // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,000
- Average annual cost: $14,912
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Creative Commons // Wikimedia Commons
Creative Commons // Wikimedia Commons
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Canva
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,167
- Average annual cost: $12,075
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,177
- Average annual cost: $14,109
JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,177
- Average annual cost: $14,109
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,319
- Average annual cost: $173,224
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,319
- Average annual cost: $173,224
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Ser Amantio di Nicolao // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,374
- Average annual cost: $24,789
Ser Amantio di Nicolao // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $33,374
- Average annual cost: $24,789
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Lee A Wong // Shutterstock
Lee A Wong // Shutterstock
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $34,500
- Average annual cost: $12,678
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Abductive // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $35,000
- Average annual cost: $13,963
Abductive // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $35,000
- Average annual cost: $13,963
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Canva
- Median student debt at graduation: $36,253
- Average annual cost: $50,944
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Clotee Pridgen Alloc… // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $36,750
- Average annual cost: $16,964
Clotee Pridgen Alloc… // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $36,750
- Average annual cost: $16,964
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Ben P L // Wikimedia Commons
Ben P L // Wikimedia Commons
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $37,584
- Average annual cost: $22,951
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $38,739
- Average annual cost: $28,343
Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $38,739
- Average annual cost: $28,343
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
DCStockPhotography // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $40,023
- Average annual cost: $256,174
DCStockPhotography // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $40,023
- Average annual cost: $256,174
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $40,625
- Average annual cost: $30,535
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
MartinCommunicationsDept // Wikimedia Commons
MartinCommunicationsDept // Wikimedia Commons
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Foto EAK // Shutterstock
- Median student debt at graduation: $41,639
- Average annual cost: $37,159
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Canva
- Median student debt at graduation: $41,667
- Average annual cost: $41,735
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
Public Domain // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $43,000
- Average annual cost: $20,631
Public Domain // Wikimedia Commons
- Median student debt at graduation: $43,000
- Average annual cost: $20,631
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $43,625
- Average annual cost: $19,528
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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The 35 colleges where graduates have the most student debt
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- Median student debt at graduation: $48,148
- Average annual cost: $20,553