Cost
These colleges have the highest median federal loan debt among students who borrowed and finished. 347 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify for this list, and colleges with a missing value for the fields used here are left out rather than guessed. The table below shows the top 20, led by Providence College (Rhode Island).
Across all 347 qualifying colleges the median debt runs from $3,516 (Berea College) to $27,000 (Providence College), with a median of $15,396. For comparison, the median across the 347 colleges in the full dataset that report it is $15,396.
| # | College | State | Median debt | Net price | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence College | RI | $27,000 | $48,523 | 85.8% | $87,054 |
| 2 | Maine Maritime Academy | ME | $26,812 | $23,414 | 58.2% | $89,964 |
| 3 | College of the Holy Cross | MA | $25,879 | $38,782 | 87.3% | $90,543 |
| 4 | Centre College | KY | $25,125 | $20,781 | 80.7% | $66,240 |
| 5 | Manhattan School of Music | NY | $25,125 | $51,754 | 78.3% | $26,878 |
| 6 | Allegheny College | PA | $25,017 | $22,940 | 72.5% | $62,069 |
| 7 | Villanova University | PA | $25,000 | $43,756 | 91.9% | $100,423 |
| 8 | Spring Arbor University | MI | $24,724 | $19,353 | 63.5% | $51,732 |
| 9 | Grambling State University | LA | $24,500 | $19,809 | 36.2% | $41,109 |
| 10 | Bentley University | MA | $24,007 | $37,930 | 86.8% | $120,959 |
| 11 | Syracuse University | NY | $23,697 | $38,793 | 83.6% | $79,164 |
| 12 | Fairfield University | CT | $23,251 | $48,095 | 84.3% | $88,794 |
| 13 | Brandeis University | MA | $23,250 | $35,736 | 86.0% | $77,231 |
| 14 | Bucknell University | PA | $23,250 | $40,766 | 86.3% | $93,807 |
| 15 | Gettysburg College | PA | $23,250 | $31,490 | 82.5% | $71,517 |
| 16 | Rhode Island School of Design | RI | $23,250 | $50,507 | 88.8% | $68,140 |
| 17 | St Olaf College | MN | $23,250 | $23,874 | 84.0% | $65,543 |
| 18 | Stevens Institute of Technology | NJ | $23,250 | $41,346 | 86.9% | $108,772 |
| 19 | Illinois Wesleyan University | IL | $23,221 | $28,199 | 74.7% | $70,871 |
| 20 | Dillard University | LA | $23,048 | $22,094 | 43.3% | $39,196 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution, May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26). Data fetched 2026-10-14. Open any row for the full college profile.
Of the 347 qualifying colleges, 168 are public and 179 are private nonprofit. Within the table, Pennsylvania appears 4 times, Massachusetts appears 3 times, Rhode Island appears 2 times. The median net price among the 20 listed colleges that report it is $36,833, against $19,857 for the whole dataset. The median graduation rate among the 20 listed colleges that report it is 83.8%, against 73.1% for the whole dataset. 19 of the 20 listed colleges report an SAT range, and the midpoints of those ranges have a median near 1320.
The figure is the median federal loan debt of students who completed, from pooled cohorts in the Scorecard. A high debt figure is a reason to check net price and aid before you commit.
Each column in the table means the following.
Debt only covers federal loans and it must be read next to earnings and net price. A college with high debt may also have strong outcomes.
To see how your own score compares, read what a 1320 SAT or a 30 ACT means for a college list, then check college costs by state for price context.
Providence College is first on this list, with median debt of $27,000. It leads 347 qualifying colleges in the dataset, so check what the number measures before treating it as a recommendation.
347 of the 354 colleges in our dataset qualify, and the table shows the top 20. Colleges with a missing value are excluded.
No. The list sorts on one number. It does not measure teaching, fit, program strength or what you would pay, so use it to find colleges to look at and then check each profile and the college's own website.
Colleges are drawn from the 354-college dataset built from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (May 2026 release (file published 2026-05-26); fetched 2026-10-14). Selection: Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduates: every college admitting 55% or fewer applicants, plus the 150 largest by undergraduate enrollment. Colleges that do not report test ranges are included with ranges shown as not reported. Reporting periods for the fields on this page: AcadYr 2021-22; Fall 2016 or AcadYr 2016-17 entry cohort, as applicable; NSLDS FY2020/FY2021 pooled cohorts; Treasury AY2009-10/AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020-21, inflation adjusted. Full definitions are on the methodology page, and the numbers are available as an open download.
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