Pa. Ranked Second For State With Most Student Debt
PITTSBURGH (KDKA)-- There's a reason why student loan debt has become one of the hottest topics of the 2020 presidential election.
WalletHub says student loans make up the largest component of household debt for Americans and the debt keeps growing with an outstanding balance totaling almost $2 trillion.
Wallethub considered student loan debt and grant opportunities in this study, revealing the best and worst components for each state.
Out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania is ranked number 2, but here's why.
Connecticut and Pennsylvania top the list as the states with the highest overall average of student debt in the country.
Pennsylvania had a total score of 65 out of 100, ranking number 4 for the student loan debt, which includes factors like past-due or default loans, borrower ages, and shared incomes.
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Pennsylvania also ranked number 7 in grant and student work opportunities, including student jobs, internships, and unemployment rates.
On the opposite end, the lowest average student debt can be found in Utah.
New Hampshire, South Dakota, and West Virginia tie in first-place for the states with the highest proportion of students with debt. Utah also has the lowest proportion of students with debt.
Adjusted for the cost of living, Mississippi has the highest student debt as a percent of income, and D.C. has the lowest.
Post-graduates, ages 25-34, may find the highest unemployment rate in Alaska. Maine, Hawaii, New Hampshire, Idaho, Vermont, and Iowa all tie for the lowest unemployment rate among these ages.
Past due and default loans are also an issue Mississippi exceeds, but in Massachusetts, it's the lowest in the country.
The highest percent of student-loan borrowers, who are 50 or older, reside in Vermont. The lowest percent is in Hawaii.
