# Colleges with the lowest student debt at graduation

> Four-year colleges ranked by the median federal loan debt of graduates, counting only colleges where at least half of students finish. U.S. College Scorecard, latest data.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-with-the-lowest-student-debt
- Data (CSV): https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-with-the-lowest-student-debt.csv
- Source data: latest College Scorecard release
- Snapshot updated: November 15, 2026

## Key findings

1. 898 four-year colleges in 50 states meet every criterion on this page.
2. Berea College (Kentucky) ranks first, with median federal debt of $5,500 at graduation.
3. The median qualifying college has median federal debt of $21,500 at graduation.
4. 312 qualifying colleges are public and 586 private nonprofit.


## The ranking

| College | State and type | Rank | Median debt | Grad. rate | Median earnings | Avg. net price |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Berea College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/berea-college-221) | Kentucky · Private nonprofit | 1 | $5,500 | 66% | $48,071 | $5,836 |
| [United States Merchant Marine Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/united-states-merchant-marine-academy-2848) | New York · Public | 2 | $5,500 | 78% | $103,283 | $1,516 |
| [California Institute of Technology CalTech](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-institute-of-technology-caltech-356) | California · Private nonprofit | 3 | $7,500 | 90% | $166,642 | $8,509 |
| [South Florida State College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/south-florida-state-college-2447) | Florida · Public | 4 | $7,687 | 52% | $41,548 | $1,502 |
| [Smith College-Massachusetts](https://www.collegesref.com/college/smith-college-massachusetts-2431) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 5 | $8,000 | 86% | $69,936 | $25,519 |
| [Williams College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/williams-college-3281) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 6 | $8,000 | 95% | $95,954 | $15,157 |
| [Grinnell College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/grinnell-college-1125) | Iowa · Private nonprofit | 7 | $8,750 | 86% | $72,106 | $15,203 |
| [Wellesley College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wellesley-college-3189) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 8 | $9,788 | 91% | $90,458 | $23,995 |
| [CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-john-jay-college-of-criminal-justice-740) | New York · Public | 9 | $10,500 | 54% | $65,870 | $1,110 |
| [CUNY Queens College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-queens-college-746) | New York · Public | 10 | $10,500 | 53% | $68,324 | $1,272 |
| [Stanford University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stanford-university-2589) | California · Private nonprofit | 11 | $10,750 | 92% | $125,340 | $12,307 |
| [California State University-Monterey Bay](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-monterey-bay-373) | California · Public | 12 | $11,000 | 63% | $63,891 | $13,861 |
| [CUNY City College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-city-college-736) | New York · Public | 13 | $11,695 | 50% | $69,594 | $1,557 |
| [University of California-Santa Barbara UCSB](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-santa-barbara-ucsb-2888) | California · Public | 14 | $11,776 | 84% | $82,568 | $16,807 |
| [CUNY Hunter College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-hunter-college-739) | New York · Public | 15 | $11,908 | 59% | $70,502 | $1,051 |
| [Yale University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/yale-university-3312) | Connecticut · Private nonprofit | 16 | $11,982 | 96% | $118,356 | $11,340 |
| [Colgate University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/colgate-university-601) | New York · Private nonprofit | 17 | $12,000 | 89% | $96,328 | $29,409 |
| [Cornell University-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cornell-university-new-york-710) | New York · Private nonprofit | 18 | $12,000 | 95% | $113,531 | $33,934 |
| [Dunwoody College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dunwoody-college-of-technology-838) | Minnesota · Private nonprofit | 19 | $12,000 | 53% | $69,458 | $27,153 |
| [Emory University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emory-university-main-campus-916) | Georgia · Private nonprofit | 20 | $12,000 | 91% | $93,897 | $16,754 |
| [Fashion Institute of Technology FIT](https://www.collegesref.com/college/fashion-institute-of-technology-fit-942) | New York · Public | 21 | $12,000 | 81% | $72,055 | $16,514 |
| [Johns Hopkins University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/johns-hopkins-university-1344) | Maryland · Private nonprofit | 22 | $12,000 | 93% | $104,590 | $18,431 |
| [New College of Florida](https://www.collegesref.com/college/new-college-of-florida-1843) | Florida · Public | 23 | $12,000 | 62% | $53,164 | $8,222 |
| [SUNY College of Technology at Alfred](https://www.collegesref.com/college/suny-college-of-technology-at-alfred-2649) | New York · Public | 24 | $12,000 | 53% | $56,988 | $14,079 |
| [University of Chicago](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-chicago-2895) | Illinois · Private nonprofit | 25 | $12,000 | 95% | $103,872 | $16,776 |
| [University of California-Davis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-davis-2882) | California · Public | 26 | $12,038 | 86% | $86,999 | $14,318 |
| [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill-main-campus-2990) | North Carolina · Public | 27 | $12,086 | 91% | $81,094 | $11,305 |
| [Bates College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/bates-college-188) | Maine · Private nonprofit | 28 | $12,250 | 88% | $98,373 | $27,390 |
| [Brigham Young University-Provo BYU Utah](https://www.collegesref.com/college/brigham-young-university-provo-byu-utah-302) | Utah · Private nonprofit | 29 | $12,250 | 81% | $80,228 | $13,397 |
| [CUNY Brooklyn College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-brooklyn-college-735) | New York · Public | 30 | $12,250 | 53% | $66,519 | $950 |
| [The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley-2774) | Texas · Public | 31 | $12,250 | 55% | $52,947 | $4,858 |
| [Princeton University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/princeton-university-2154) | New Jersey · Private nonprofit | 32 | $12,400 | 97% | $133,523 | $7,815 |
| [University of California-Berkeley CAL](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-berkeley-cal-2881) | California · Public | 33 | $12,416 | 94% | $100,212 | $14,538 |
| [CUNY Bernard M Baruch College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college-732) | New York · Public | 34 | $12,500 | 70% | $83,742 | $657 |
| [Parker University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/parker-university-2078) | Texas · Private nonprofit | 35 | $12,500 | 83% | $56,771 | $28,806 |
| [Western Governors University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-governors-university-433387) | Utah · Private nonprofit | 36 | $12,500 | 50% | $76,999 | $12,748 |
| [University of California-Irvine UCI](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-irvine-uci-2883) | California · Public | 37 | $12,821 | 87% | $83,432 | $13,866 |
| [California State University-Stanislaus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-stanislaus-378) | California · Public | 38 | $13,000 | 52% | $65,560 | $3,565 |
| [Dartmouth College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dartmouth-college-769) | New Hampshire · Private nonprofit | 39 | $13,000 | 95% | $111,162 | $26,707 |
| [Duke University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/duke-university-837) | North Carolina · Private nonprofit | 40 | $13,000 | 96% | $113,937 | $23,706 |
| [Florida State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/florida-state-university-main-campus-985) | Florida · Public | 41 | $13,000 | 86% | $68,225 | $8,605 |
| [Rice University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rice-university-2227) | Texas · Private nonprofit | 42 | $13,000 | 95% | $90,773 | $11,164 |
| [Southern Utah University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/southern-utah-university-2511) | Utah · Public | 43 | $13,000 | 62% | $53,925 | $10,887 |
| [University of California-San Diego UCSD](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-california-san-diego-ucsd-2887) | California · Public | 44 | $13,000 | 86% | $96,197 | $14,794 |
| [California State University-Fresno](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-fresno-369) | California · Public | 45 | $13,156 | 58% | $62,756 | $5,418 |
| [Amherst College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/amherst-college-72) | Massachusetts · Private nonprofit | 46 | $13,250 | 93% | $95,161 | $19,536 |
| [Claremont McKenna College CMC](https://www.collegesref.com/college/claremont-mckenna-college-cmc-557) | California · Private nonprofit | 47 | $13,450 | 90% | $127,532 | $26,039 |
| [University of Florida](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-florida-2910) | Florida · Public | 48 | $13,496 | 92% | $78,456 | $5,969 |
| [University of Florida-Online](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-florida-online-484473) | Florida · Public | 49 | $13,496 | 83% | $78,456 | $4,336 |
| [Scripps College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/scripps-college-2389) | California · Private nonprofit | 50 | $13,500 | 84% | $84,025 | $29,998 |

## Methodology

- **Colleges counted.** Every college published on CollegesRef that is public or private nonprofit, in a four-year Carnegie class (doctoral, master's or baccalaureate), in the 50 states or D.C., with at least 500 undergraduates and both figures reported in the College Scorecard.
- **Criteria.** This list keeps four-year colleges that graduate at least 50% of students, then ranks them by median federal debt at graduation. Closed colleges are left out.
- **Exclusions.** For-profit colleges, two-year colleges, special-focus institutions, colleges with fewer undergraduates than the minimum, U.S. territories and colleges missing either figure are left out. Earnings figures without a federal reporting year are excluded.
- **Definitions.** Median earnings are former students' earnings ten years after entry (College Scorecard MD_EARN_WNE_P10). Average net price is cost of attendance minus average grants for aided first-time, full-time students (NPT4). Median debt is federal loan debt at graduation (GRAD_DEBT_MDN). Graduation rate is the IPEDS rate reported in the Scorecard.
- **What it leaves out.** A ranking on federal figures says nothing about teaching, fit or programs. Earnings are before tax and not specific to a major; prices are averages, so your family's price depends on its income and the college's aid.

## Frequently asked questions

### How is this list ranked?

CollegesRef keeps four-year colleges that graduate at least 50% of students, and ranks them by median federal debt at graduation, lowest first. 898 colleges qualify; the top 50 are shown and the CSV holds the same rows.

### Which college ranks first?

Berea College (Kentucky, private nonprofit), with median federal debt at graduation of $5,500. The median qualifying college reports $21,500.

### Where does the data come from?

The U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (latest data), which reports IPEDS cost and graduation figures and federal earnings and debt records. CollegesRef recomputes the list weekly from the latest snapshot.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- IPEDS (National Center for Education Statistics): https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/
- The federal source data is a U.S. government work in the public domain (https://www.usa.gov/government-copyright).
- CollegesRef methodology: https://www.collegesref.com/methodology

## How to cite

CollegesRef, "Colleges with the lowest student debt at graduation," analysis of the latest U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, updated November 15, 2026. https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-with-the-lowest-student-debt

---

Source: CollegesRef, https://www.collegesref.com/data/colleges-with-the-lowest-student-debt.