This Map Shows The US States With The Most And Least Amount Of Student Debt
Student debt is a crippling issue in the US (in fact, it is the second-largest component of debt for American households, just after mortgages), but among the US states there is actually a disparity in the amount of student debt you rack up while you're studying. Which is basically saying there's still a difference between an outrageous and a "not-too-great-but-at-least-I-might-not-have-to-sell-my-kidney" level of debt.
After crunching some numbers and analyzing data on student debt and employment indexes in each state, personal finance website WalletHub has come up with a map that ranks each state, as well as the District of Columbia, according to its degree of student debt.
States like Ohio, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania score badly as they're high in "student-loan indebtedness" (the methodology is explained here) and relatively low in other measures, such as "grant and student work opportunities." In other words, if you're a student coming from a modest financial background, maybe avoid Ohio. The state's just not that into you.
WalletHub also shared some very interesting findings on student debt in the US by looking at the issue from several different angles, including which states had the highest average debt and which states had the highest proportion of students with debt (spoilers: New Hampshire and Pennsylvania make both lists). It's also important to factor in the unemployment rates in each state, because as we know, the place at which you study is just as vital as where you choose to work (because hopefully you'll earn enough to pay off your debts).
