According to the Department of Education, federal student loans currently total $1.6 trillion. All told, an estimated 45 million borrowers hold federal student loan debt. The average student loan debt among borrowers stands at $36,200. (These are the most expensive states to get a college education.)
Burdened by that much debt, many college graduates are not always able to keep up with monthly payments, but the numbers vary by state. In Louisiana, an estimated 639,300 people have outstanding student loan debt, and of them, 9.0% are at least 90 days past due on payments, compared to 7.5% of borrowers nationwide.
The average outstanding balance among borrowers in Louisiana of $35,000 is lower than the national average and the 24th lowest among states.
All data in this story is from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and is current as of 2021.
| Rank | State | Borrowers with 90+ days of past due payments (%) | Average outstanding student loan balance ($) | Number of borrowers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 10.8 | 37,500 | 417,600 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 10.0 | 32,500 | 215,900 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 9.8 | 34,400 | 217,700 |
| 4 | Nevada | 9.6 | 35,800 | 346,200 |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 9.5 | 32,100 | 474,100 |
| 6 | Alabama | 9.4 | 37,500 | 614,900 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 9.4 | 33,400 | 586,000 |
| 8 | South Carolina | 9.2 | 37,200 | 748,800 |
| 9 | Georgia | 9.1 | 41,600 | 1,639,600 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 9.0 | 36,200 | 867,800 |
| 11 | Louisiana | 9.0 | 35,000 | 639,300 |
| 12 | Indiana | 9.0 | 32,900 | 926,500 |
| 13 | Arkansas | 9.0 | 32,400 | 373,900 |
| 14 | Texas | 8.4 | 33,100 | 3,753,300 |
| 15 | Arizona | 8.3 | 36,300 | 870,100 |
| 16 | Ohio | 8.3 | 35,000 | 1,812,200 |
| 17 | Oregon | 8.2 | 37,900 | 552,100 |
| 18 | Florida | 8.1 | 38,700 | 2,665,400 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 8.1 | 37,200 | 1,349,100 |
| 20 | Michigan | 8.1 | 36,500 | 1,430,100 |
| 21 | Missouri | 8.1 | 35,400 | 836,200 |
| 22 | Alaska | 7.9 | 33,900 | 70,600 |
| 23 | Kansas | 7.7 | 33,000 | 391,800 |
| 24 | Hawaii | 7.4 | 35,700 | 126,500 |
| 25 | Delaware | 7.1 | 37,200 | 135,300 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | 7.1 | 35,400 | 2,040,200 |
| 27 | California | 7.0 | 37,700 | 4,008,400 |
| 28 | Maryland | 6.8 | 43,200 | 874,000 |
| 29 | Wyoming | 6.8 | 30,800 | 56,500 |
| 30 | Virginia | 6.7 | 38,500 | 1,148,900 |
| 31 | Illinois | 6.7 | 38,000 | 1,704,800 |
| 32 | Montana | 6.7 | 32,800 | 132,700 |
| 33 | Iowa | 6.7 | 29,900 | 458,500 |
| 34 | Colorado | 6.6 | 36,800 | 818,800 |
| 35 | Rhode Island | 6.5 | 33,100 | 156,600 |
| 36 | Connecticut | 6.4 | 36,300 | 542,300 |
| 37 | Idaho | 6.4 | 34,000 | 223,800 |
| 38 | Maine | 6.3 | 33,300 | 202,700 |
| 39 | Wisconsin | 6.2 | 31,200 | 784,500 |
| 40 | Washington | 6.1 | 35,900 | 835,400 |
| 41 | New Jersey | 5.9 | 36,800 | 1,342,200 |
| 42 | Utah | 5.9 | 33,100 | 324,200 |
| 43 | Minnesota | 5.6 | 32,700 | 884,400 |
| 44 | Vermont | 5.4 | 35,100 | 90,700 |
| 45 | Nebraska | 5.4 | 31,900 | 263,200 |
| 46 | Massachusetts | 5.3 | 35,100 | 1,037,900 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 5.3 | 34,700 | 221,600 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 5.2 | 29,800 | 132,000 |
| 49 | North Dakota | 5.2 | 28,500 | 114,100 |
| 50 | New York | 4.8 | 38,200 | 2,592,900 |
