Kiplinger recently published an article comparing the average student debt and average income, state by state.  Obviously this is not a definitive comparison, but it does give more insight into college finances.

Although some of their college costs don’t add up (which is not unusual for many college rating sites), I did find many interesting results in their analysis.  Here are just a few…

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is one of the most highly respected public universities in the country.  It is also one of the most affordable in-state and out-of-state.

The three states with the lowest percentage of college graduates with debt are:

• Hawaii – 35%
• Utah – 42%
• Tennessee – 47%

The three states with the highest percentage of college graduates with debt are:

• South Dakota – 81%
• North Dakota – 80%
• Iowa – 74%

The three states with the lowest average student debt are:

• Utah – $13,299
• Hawaii – $15,199
• Wyoming – $16,005

The three states with the highest average student debt are:

• Iowa – $26,210
• Arizona – $25,628
• New Hampshire – $25,466

Below is the summary map, produced by Kiplinger.  Click on the map to enlarge.

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