Pa. among the top 3 states with the most student debt, report says

NewsThese 3 states have the most student debt: ‘Plan carefully’Student debt has hit over $1.8 billion nationwide. (Andre Hunter via Unsplash)Andre Hunter via UnsplashBy Claudia Dimuro | cdimuro@pennlive.comAccording to the Education Data Initiative, student debt has hit over $1.8 trillion in the United States. However, some states are struggling more with this financial burden than others.WalletHub conducted and published a report that found the states that have the most student debt in the country. Researchers at the website graded each of the 50 plus Washington, D.C., across two main categories — “Student-Loan Indebtedness” and “Grant & Student Work Opportunities” — and factored in relevant metrics such as “Student Debt as Share of Income” for final conclusions.The resulting report listed the following as the top three states with the most student debt: MississippiDelawarePennsylvania“Mississippi has the biggest student debt problem in the country,” the report elaborates. “The average amount owed by people with student loan debt equals over 54 percent of the median income in the state, the highest rate in the U.S.“In addition, Mississippi has the highest default rate on student debt, which shows that people are having trouble paying off what they borrow.”On the other side of the spectrum, the states with the least amount of student debt were California (49th overall), Hawaii (50th overall), and Utah (51st).“College keeps getting progressively more expensive, and so does borrowing money to attend,” says WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. “Federal student loan interest rates recently hit a 12-year high and remain elevated, making it important for borrowers to plan carefully when taking on student debt.“In addition to attending college in a less expensive state and pursuing other avenues of funding like financial aid and grants, students should also carefully calculate how much they can afford to borrow before taking out a loan.”Trading in your old iPhone now gets you less What day is Yom Kippur 2026?Once-ailing toy retailer to open 120 new storesClaudia covers trending and breaking news stories across the United States. She previously worked as a digital reporter for PennLive.com, where she covered a range of topics from metal music to consumer news to...