It’s back to school time – and that means some bright-eyed freshmen and their proud families are getting ready to decipher six numbers to go to their dream schools.
Tuition prices have skyrocketed in recent decades, even as Americans have become more skeptical about the value of a four-year degree.
Yet a significant number of young adults are studying there. In 2024, there were 19.28 million students enrolled in college, up from a peak of 21 million in 2010. Education data initiative.
For some of those students, obtaining a degree was only possible by taking out loans, both federal and private.
For the rankings, we looked at main campuses with at least 500 students that primarily offer bachelor’s degrees. The DOE does not track private loans or federal Parent PLUS loans, so these rankings do not reflect all the debt students and their families may take on to pay for college.
The list includes public, private nonprofits, for-profits, and primarily online institutions.
One key trend stood out: A majority of the top 25 colleges – 56% – are Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
HBCU students borrow at a higher rate than non-HBCU students, and they say they tend to borrow more UNCFwhich has linked these higher borrowings to greater “unmet financial need” among HBCU students.
Marybeth Gasman, executive director of the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions, told Business Insider that HBCUs often have fewer resources to provide institutional assistance.
“They have lower endowments and smaller operating budgets than many comparable PWIs (predominantly white institutions),” she said.
“It’s important that students get as little help as possible, but that can be difficult when people have needs,” she said, adding that some students also take out loans to support their families.
With that context in mind, here are the 25 U.S. universities where students graduate with the highest average federal debt.
25. Albertus Magnus College – New Haven, Connecticut
View of the New Haven Green and downtown, in New Haven, Connecticut Jon Bilous/Getty Images/iStockphoto
13 (tie). American InterContinental University – Chandler, Arizona
Chandler, Ariz. MattGush/Getty Images/iStockphoto
13 (tie). Texas College – Tyler, Texas
Tyler, TX. BOB WESTON/Getty Images/iStockphoto
13 (tie). South Carolina State University – Orangeburg, South Carolina
South Carolina University Bango Brothers Incorporated performs ahead of the arrival of U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris during a ‘First In The Nation’ campaign rally at South Carolina State University on February 2, 2024 in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Brandon Bell/Getty Images
13 (tie). Southern University in New Orleans – New Orleans
The skyline of New Orleans, Louisiana, and the surrounding metropolitan area along the banks of the Mississippi River, filmed from an altitude of approximately 1,000 feet (300 meters) during a helicopter photo flight. Art Bet/Getty Images
13 (tie). Dillard University – New Orleans
Dillard University is a more than 100-year-old historically black university in New Orleans. Rochelle Ford, president of the school, finds herself at the center of America’s intense national debate over U.S. support for Israel. Kathleen Flynn for the Washington Post/Getty Images
13 (tie). Fort Valley State University – Fort Valley, Georgia
Fort Valley State University. Google Maps
13 (tie). Bethune-Cookman University – Daytona Beach, Florida
Bethune Cookman University. Jerry Ballard/Getty Images
13 (tie). Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design – Lakewood, Colorado
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design instructor Sean Brown views conceptual drawings for a virtual reality comic book at the Colorado Convention Center, June 16, 2016. ( Andy Cross/The Denver Post/Getty Images
13 (tie). ArtCenter College of Design – Pasadena, California
The new south campus of Art Center, College of Design on Raymond Ave. in Pasadena. Fig. shows the view of the college from the Raymond Ave side. Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
13 (tie). Academy of Art University – San Francisco
Academy of Arts University sign on urban street with surrounding office buildings, San Francisco, California, December 4, 2025. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
13 (tie). Alabama State University-Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, AL. Kruck20/Getty Images/iStock
13 (tie). Alabama A&M University – Normal, Alabama
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