In a 10-year time span, total student loan debt in the United States jumped from $260 billion to $1.2 trillion last year.
During that same time, average individual student’s debt went from $18,650 to $33,000. But students in some states fare better than others.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared such things as student loan debt to the economies in each state and the District of Columbia, the number of jobs available to young people and the residents’ income levels and came up with the 10 states where students are burdened with the least debt.
Following are the 10 best states for student debt and some of the reasons they earned the ranking, listed in reverse order.
No. 10 South Dakota
South Dakotans have the third lowest unemployment rate for people ages 25 to 34.