Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings

Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings, ranked by debt / annual earnings. Median federal debt divided by median 10-year annual earnings. These are different cohorts; this is not a repayment timeline. Four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates. Online-only schools are excluded. This page lists all 517 colleges in the ranking. Search and filter the list.

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1Texas Tech University Health Sciences CenterLubbock, Texas0.13×———$92k—1,482457 mi 2University of California-BerkeleyBerkeley, California0.14×11%—$13k$92k93%33,0682 mi 3University of Puerto Rico-AreciboArecibo, Puerto Rico0.15×59%—$11k$31k52%2,6691 mi 4CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNew York, New York0.15×48%1280$3k$76k72%16,1541 mi 5University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasSan Juan, Puerto Rico0.15×55%—$9k$36k50%8,5722 mi 6University of Puerto RicoBayamon, Puerto Rico0.16×35%—$8k$34k37%2,8514 mi 7University of California-DavisDavis, California0.16×42%—$15k$81k86%32,25327 mi 8University of Puerto Rico at CayeyCayey, Puerto Rico0.16×53%955$10k$31k50%2,06912 mi 9CUNY Queens CollegeQueens, New York0.16×64%1120$4k$63k53%12,5503 mi 10University of Puerto Rico-MayaguezMayaguez, Puerto Rico0.17×57%—$18k$49k49%9,5391 mi 11University of California-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California0.17×9%—$13k$83k93%33,4755 mi 12CUNY Hunter CollegeNew York, New York0.17×54%1280$3k$63k57%16,2891 mi 13University of Puerto Rico at PoncePonce, Puerto Rico0.18×52%—$11k$31k46%2,2782 mi 14University of Puerto Rico-CarolinaCarolina, Puerto Rico0.18×55%932$13k$31k37%2,4044 mi 15Thomas Edison State UniversityTrenton, New Jersey0.18×———$69k—6,70720 mi 16CUNY Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn, New York0.18×58%1140$3k$61k54%10,5433 mi 17CUNY City CollegeNew York, New York0.18×60%1260$4k$66k57%12,505< 1 mi 18University of California-San DiegoLa Jolla, California0.18×27%—$12k$85k86%34,9481 mi 19University of California-IrvineIrvine, California0.19×29%—$14k$81k87%30,1974 mi 20University of Washington-Seattle CampusSeattle, Washington0.19×39%—$14k$78k85%31,9423 mi 21University of Washington-Bothell CampusBothell, Washington0.19×91%—$12k$78k65%5,4579 mi 22University of Washington-Tacoma CampusTacoma, Washington0.19×83%—$10k$78k63%4,1851 mi 23University of Puerto Rico-HumacaoHumacao, Puerto Rico0.19×55%—$13k$30k47%2,5294 mi 24University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California0.19×33%—$16k$75k83%23,113< 1 mi 25CUNY Lehman CollegeBronx, New York0.19×57%970$3k$58k51%10,6961 mi 26University of Arkansas for Medical SciencesLittle Rock, Arkansas0.19×———$74k—1,571325 mi 27San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, California0.19×85%—$14k$79k69%27,60112 mi 28CUNY Graduate School and University CenterNew York, New York0.19×68%——$66k—3,2541 mi 29CUNY York CollegeJamaica, New York0.19×64%880$4k$57k32%4,3454 mi 30University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina0.19×15%1439$12k$72k91%20,752115 mi 31CUNY John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, New York0.20×57%1080$3k$56k56%11,590< 1 mi 32University of Puerto Rico-AguadillaAguadilla, Puerto Rico0.20×81%909$8k$28k46%1,8831 mi 33SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuse, New York0.20×63%—$19k$56k66%1,83935 mi 34University of Virginia-Main CampusCharlottesville, Virginia0.20×17%1480$22k$87k96%17,59767 mi 35California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, California0.20×31%—$17k$91k86%21,9969 mi 36University of FloridaGainesville, Florida0.21×24%1403$7k$72k91%35,62942 mi 37Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusAtlanta, Georgia0.21×14%1480$12k$103k94%18,785222 mi 38Farmingdale State CollegeFarmingdale, New York0.21×63%1147$11k$70k53%9,5527 mi 39CUNY New York City College of TechnologyBrooklyn, New York0.21×80%1010$5k$49k21%13,580< 1 mi 40California State University-StanislausTurlock, California0.21×98%—$6k$63k53%8,38546 mi 41California State University-Monterey BaySeaside, California0.22×97%—$14k$59k59%6,8192 mi 42California State University-FullertonFullerton, California0.22×91%—$7k$63k70%38,54616 mi 43California State University-Los AngelesLos Angeles, California0.22×91%—$4k$59k53%19,56218 mi 44California State University-Long BeachLong Beach, California0.22×46%—$10k$64k69%35,9243 mi 45California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, California0.22×75%—$12k$72k68%25,04227 mi 46San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, California0.23×96%—$12k$68k50%18,6392 mi 47University of Maryland-College ParkCollege Park, Maryland0.23×45%1473$16k$83k89%30,7609 mi 48Binghamton UniversityVestal, New York0.23×39%1415$22k$81k82%14,65594 mi 49San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, California0.23×36%—$15k$65k76%35,3777 mi 50California State University-SacramentoSacramento, California0.23×94%—$9k$65k56%28,35032 mi 51California State University-East BayHayward, California0.23×97%—$9k$71k48%9,8096 mi 52University of Michigan-Ann ArborAnn Arbor, Michigan0.23×16%1465$13k$84k93%34,17730 mi 53California State University-NorthridgeNorthridge, California0.23×93%—$7k$59k57%32,69114 mi 54Colorado School of MinesGolden, Colorado0.24×61%1412$29k$97k82%6,155737 mi 55CUNY Medgar Evers CollegeBrooklyn, New York0.24×86%920$6k$46k20%3,2333 mi 56California State University-FresnoFresno, California0.24×95%—$7k$61k57%21,605112 mi 57University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, Illinois0.24×42%1440$14k$81k85%36,258115 mi 58California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, California0.24×95%—$10k$62k51%5,0135 mi 59California State University-Dominguez HillsCarson, California0.24×93%—$9k$57k43%12,5387 mi 60SUNY Maritime CollegeThroggs Neck, New York0.24×72%1214$22k$96k64%1,285< 1 mi 61University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, Illinois0.24×77%1250$11k$69k62%22,1702 mi 62University of California-Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California0.24×66%—$18k$68k75%17,9403 mi 63Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, New York0.24×49%1419$19k$75k76%18,1012 mi 64California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, California0.25×94%—$5k$60k55%15,02352 mi 65Texas A&M University-College StationCollege Station, Texas0.25×57%1280$21k$72k84%59,61597 mi 66New Mexico Highlands UniversityLas Vegas, New Mexico0.25×——$15k$46k26%1,451546 mi 67Southern Utah UniversityCedar City, Utah0.25×82%—$10k$50k61%9,289390 mi 68New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, New Jersey0.25×65%1337$17k$84k73%9,0194 mi 69University of California-MercedMerced, California0.25×91%—$12k$64k69%8,37271 mi 70William & MaryWilliamsburg, Virginia0.25×34%1473$19k$73k89%7,0553 mi 71Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, California0.25×93%—$13k$66k58%5,16616 mi 72George Mason UniversityFairfax, Virginia0.26×87%1274$18k$76k68%27,75212 mi 73SUNY Old WestburyOld Westbury, New York0.26×84%—$11k$59k45%4,1624 mi 74California State University-ChicoChico, California0.26×93%—$14k$64k63%13,631103 mi 75University of California-RiversideRiverside, California0.26×76%—$14k$68k76%22,59340 mi 76The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, Texas0.26×94%985$5k$50k51%28,66645 mi 77Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg, Virginia0.26×55%1364$25k$82k86%30,923173 mi 78The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, Texas0.26×65%1286$18k$68k76%21,751245 mi 79Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, Minnesota0.26×99%1020$17k$65k44%5,616131 mi 80Utah State UniversityLogan, Utah0.27×92%1187$15k$54k59%20,272572 mi 81SUNY Polytechnic InstituteUtica, New York0.27×81%1201$14k$64k55%1,84957 mi 82College of Staten Island CUNYStaten Island, New York0.27×92%1040$6k$54k34%9,6572 mi 83University at BuffaloBuffalo, New York0.27×74%1295$21k$71k75%20,1126 mi 84University of GeorgiaAthens, Georgia0.27×38%1397$14k$69k90%32,137175 mi 85Purdue University-Main CampusWest Lafayette, Indiana0.27×50%1364$15k$72k83%44,50385 mi 86The University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas0.27×27%1395$20k$75k89%42,855126 mi 87Florida International UniversityMiami, Florida0.27×55%1163$9k$60k74%39,5088 mi 88University of North FloridaJacksonville, Florida0.28×53%1153$10k$56k69%13,3597 mi 89California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, California0.28×95%—$10k$63k55%14,87710 mi 90The University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, Texas0.28×80%1124$14k$63k54%32,294239 mi 91University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, Wisconsin0.28×45%1427$17k$74k90%36,90276 mi 92University of Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, Hawaii0.28×95%985$10k$52k50%2,5193 mi 93University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland0.28×72%1323$16k$70k70%10,7015 mi 94Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, Illinois0.28×75%—$14k$52k22%3,9823 mi 95University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, Colorado0.28×78%1357$25k$70k74%31,939750 mi 96Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, Missouri0.28×73%1317$16k$83k64%5,521344 mi

US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. Missing or suppressed values are excluded. A ranking is a comparison of the named measure, not an overall quality score.