A new analysis has found that the share of Californians late on paying back their student loans has “surged” during the first two quarters of 2025, with regional differences that experts say may reflect economic opportunity differences in the state.

The California Policy Lab, a research institute at the University of California, released a new analysis on Wednesday, Sept. 17, that showed 11% of California student loan borrowers are 30+ days late on paying back their loans. It comes as the U.S. Department of Education announced earlier this year that it was resuming collecting on defaulted loans by early May.

“The share of borrowers who are 30+ days late on paying back their student loans surged during the first two quarters of 2025,” Evan White, executive director of the California Polic

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