15 Cities With the Lowest Student Loan Debt

Student loans offer a way for many to pay for higher education, but after leaving school, the debt burden can drain your finances. Even armed with a bachelor’s degree, new grads may need to earn extra money to pay down their loans.

Not surprisingly, residents of some cities incur more or less debt than others. Where are those places? Using data from TransUnion, a FinanceBuzz study found that residents of these 15 cities had lower student loan debt balances.

In the home of the University of Arizona, Tucson residents have a median student loan debt balance of $17,787. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 31.7% of Tucson residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

In the capital city of California, residents carry a median student loan debt balance of $17,625. Around 36% of Sacramento residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Close to 50% of San Jose residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Even though 47.6% of residents have completed some level of higher education, the median student loan balance for the area is $17,500.

Approximately a quarter of El Paso residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance in El Paso, Texas, is $17,407.

Located south of San Diego, 31.2% of Chula Vista residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. On average, residents of this southern California city owe $16,569 in student loan debt.

Around a quarter of residents in this suburb of Dallas hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance in Garland, Texas, is $16,450.

Anaheim’s most famous resident might be Mickey Mouse at his home in Disneyland. But 28.3% of residents in this magical city hold at least a bachelor’s degree. On average, Anaheim residents owe $16,441 in student loan debt.

Residents of Las Vegas carry an average of $15,939 in student loan debt. But residents of North Las Vegas, which is billed as a separate area, hold a slightly lower average of $15,320 in student loans. In both parts of town, around one-quarter of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Fewer than 20% of Stockton residents have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the median student loan debt balance for Stockton residents is $15,210.

Fresno residents carry an average of $15,026 in student loan debt. In the area, 24.2% of Fresno residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.

A city outside of Los Angeles, 70% of Irvine residents boast a bachelor's degree or higher. Even with this relatively high percentage of degree holders, Irvine residents owe one of the lowest average student loan balances. The median student loan debt for Irvine residents is $14,817.

Santa Ana borders Irvine. Residents in Santa Ana carry an average of $14,817 in student loan debt. Surprisingly, just 17.9% of Santa Ana residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which represents a much lower percentage of residents than its Irvine neighbors.

According to the U.S. Census, 23.1% of Corpus Christi residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance for residents in this town is $14,537.

Bakersfield residents hold an average of $14,530 in student loan debt, and 23.1% of residents hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

Residents of Laredo boast the lowest average student loan debt balances, with a median of $13,141. Approximately 22% of residents in this border town hold at least a bachelor’s degree.

While the average student loan debt in these cities is below $18,000, the average student loan debt for a bachelor’s degree nationwide is $29,400, according to the College Board.

If you’re struggling to pay your student loans, try to find ways to pay off your debt faster. Pursuing a side gig for a while or sharing living expenses with others may help you meet your debt obligations until you earn more money. And if you haven’t gone on to higher education yet, do your best to limit the amount of student loan money you take. 

Only borrow what you absolutely need to earn your degree. Also, consider going to a community college for a couple of years and then transferring credits to a four-year institution. At graduation, you’ll be facing a lower debt burden by keeping your borrowing as low as possible along the way.