How North Dakota's Student Debt Compares To Neighboring States

Student debt is becoming more and more of a problem in North Dakota, which has the 21st highest overall student loan burden in the US.

WalletHub's most recent survey shows that the typical North Dakotan owes $49,940 in student loans. This shows how many people in the state are having trouble with money.

When compared to its neighbors Minnesota, Montana, and South Dakota, the state is in the middle category. However, it still doesn't do enough to help borrowers.

South Dakota has the fifth-largest student debt in the US, which is worse than the other states. The average South Dakotan has around $60,000 in debt, and 75% of students in the state have debt, which is the highest rate in the country. Even yet, South Dakota has a lot of good possibilities for paying back student debt because there are more jobs in the area.

Source: WalletHub

Montana is ranked 38th and has one of the lowest rates of student loans that are in default. However, it also has less work possibilities for young adults, which makes it harder for them to pay off their debts.

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Finally, Minnesota, which is 28th, has almost the same amount of student debt as North Dakota, but it has better job prospects for new grads.

By the first quarter of 2025, student debt had reached a shocking $1.66 trillion throughout the country, with an average loan load of more than $39,000 per borrower.

Student Debt By State:

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Student-Loan Indebtedness Rank	Grant & Student Work Opportunities Rank
1	Mississippi	64.93	2	14
2	New Hampshire	63.56	1	35
3	Pennsylvania	62.61	3	30
4	Delaware	61.04	5	20
5	South Dakota	60.01	4	37
6	South Carolina	57.97	7	8
7	Kentucky	56.25	14	2
8	West Virginia	56.03	10	9
9	New Jersey	55.99	6	31
10	Ohio	55.83	9	15
11	Michigan	55.63	11	10
12	Louisiana	55.16	15	3
13	Oklahoma	54.52	16	4
14	Georgia	54.48	13	23
15	Kansas	54.36	12	26
16	Rhode Island	53.84	8	41
17	Alabama	52.36	17	24
18	Indiana	51.50	23	7
19	Nebraska	50.98	20	27
20	Iowa	50.36	22	22
21	North Dakota	49.94	21	33
22	Arkansas	49.81	28	6
23	Connecticut	49.26	18	42
24	Missouri	49.16	19	43
25	Texas	48.58	29	18
26	North Carolina	47.93	26	32
27	Wisconsin	47.46	30	25
28	Minnesota	46.13	24	44
29	Tennessee	45.73	32	28
30	Maryland	44.93	25	49
31	Illinois	44.78	31	38
32	Maine	44.69	27	51
33	New York	42.76	33	40
34	Massachusetts	41.09	35	47
35	Virginia	40.54	34	50
36	Idaho	39.78	38	19
37	Vermont	38.26	36	46
38	Montana	37.50	41	5
39	Wyoming	36.96	40	12
40	Florida	36.08	43	11
41	Arizona	36.07	37	45
42	Alaska	35.65	42	17
43	Nevada	35.64	46	1
44	District of Columbia	35.00	39	48
45	Colorado	34.35	44	29
46	Oregon	33.65	45	21
47	Washington	29.75	48	16
48	New Mexico	27.26	47	39
49	California	27.19	49	34
50	Utah	22.25	51	13
51	Hawaii	22.02	50	36

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Filed Under: North Dakota