These states have the most student loan debt in 2025, data finds

Student loan debt is a rising problem for millions of borrowers searching for ways to pay off their loans.

Right now, the nation’s student loan debt exceeds $1 trillion , with the average federal student loan debt balance at more than $39,000, according to the Education Data Initiative.

RELATED: Student loan forgiveness program getting Trump overhaul: What’s changing

While the paying off student loans is overwhelming for borrowers, not all states are the same when it comes to the financial weight of managing student loans, based on data from a new WalletHub report .

The personal finance website collected its findings by comparing 50 states and Washington, D.C. using 12 key metrics of indebtedness and earning opportunities as well as average student debt to u