PlainCollege

National ranking · College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Lowest Median Student Debt

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, using data retrieved March–July 2026, these 2,000-plus larger institutions send graduates into the world with the least federal debt - ranked by median borrowing at graduation among the schools reporting earnings.

$2,819
Lowest median debt
100
Colleges ranked

The list in one line

Graduates of every one of these 100 colleges leave with no more than $7,750 in median federal debt. Reedley College is the lowest at $2,819.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

$2,819
#1 lowest - Reedley College
$7,750
#100, the highest still on this list
100
large colleges ranked (enrollment 2,000+)

Live data rendered from the portal database; see the methodology for cohort, year, and eligibility details.

Top 15, Median federal debt

Live data, updated automatically whenever PlainCollege refreshes its dataset

USD

What this shows Low median debt can reflect several factors, including price, grant aid, and who borrows. Read it alongside the share of students borrowing and institution-level former-student earnings.

Source U.S. Department of Education

Here is where the #100 cutoff ($7,750 median debt) lands among all US colleges:

The bar to make this top-100 list

Median federal student debt, College Scorecard

$7,750 Among the most affordable more affordable than 10% of 4,754 US colleges

$2,000–$3,000: 6 US colleges (0%). Below this entry. $3,000–$4,000: 26 US colleges (1%). Below this entry. $4,000–$5,000: 28 US colleges (1%). Below this entry. $5,000–$6,000: 96 US colleges (2%). Below this entry. $6,000–$7,000: 312 US colleges (7%). Below this entry. $7,000–$8,000: 281 US colleges (6%). This entry sits in this band. $8,000–$9,000: 195 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $9,000–$10,000: 593 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $10,000–$11,000: 301 US colleges (6%). Above this entry. $11,000–$12,000: 190 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $12,000–$13,000: 247 US colleges (5%). Above this entry. $13,000–$14,000: 178 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $14,000–$15,000: 116 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $15,000–$16,000: 110 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $16,000–$17,000: 86 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $17,000–$18,000: 80 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $18,000–$19,000: 113 US colleges (2%). Above this entry. $19,000–$20,000: 136 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $20,000–$21,000: 207 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $21,000–$22,000: 213 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $22,000–$23,000: 121 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $23,000–$24,000: 161 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $24,000–$25,000: 179 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $25,000–$26,000: 242 US colleges (5%). Above this entry. $26,000–$27,000: 204 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $27,000–$28,000: 186 US colleges (4%). Above this entry. $28,000–$29,000: 15 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $29,000–$30,000: 22 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $30,000–$31,000: 16 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $31,000–$32,000: 31 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $32,000–$33,000: 12 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $33,000–$34,000: 3 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $34,000–$35,000: 3 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $35,000–$36,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $36,000–$37,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $37,000–$38,000: 1 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $38,000–$39,000: 6 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $40,000–$41,000: 29 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $41,000–$42,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $43,000–$44,000: 3 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. #100 cutoff $2,000 $44,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $1K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The full top 100

Filter by state, ownership sector, or minimum enrollment, then open any school profile for borrowing rates and earnings context.

#CollegeStateMedian federal debtEnrollment
1Reedley CollegeCA$2,8195,504
2Laredo CollegeTX$2,9595,818
3Savannah Technical CollegeGA$3,2583,366
4Barstow Community CollegeCA$3,5002,657
5Mech-Tech CollegePR$3,5002,302
6Fresno City CollegeCA$4,05821,251
7Southwestern CollegeCA$4,50018,614
8Fullerton CollegeCA$4,50017,121
9College of the SequoiasCA$4,50011,562
10Augusta Technical CollegeGA$4,5003,923
11City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley CollegeIL$4,5002,789
12University of Puerto Rico-AreciboPR$4,5002,669
13Alvin Community CollegeTX$4,5193,342
14San Diego Mesa CollegeCA$4,72516,098
15Arizona Western CollegeAZ$4,8266,374
16Catawba Valley Community CollegeNC$4,9382,741
17University of Puerto Rico at CayeyPR$5,0002,069
18Santiago Canyon CollegeCA$5,12510,579
19Oakton CollegeIL$5,2506,072
20Paris Junior CollegeTX$5,3422,204
21Rio Hondo CollegeCA$5,50015,684
22Del Mar CollegeTX$5,5009,501
23University of Puerto Rico-Rio PiedrasPR$5,5008,572
24University of Puerto RicoPR$5,5002,851
25University of Puerto Rico-HumacaoPR$5,5002,529
26University of Puerto Rico-CarolinaPR$5,5002,404
27University of Puerto Rico at PoncePR$5,5002,278
28Meridian Community CollegeMS$5,5212,156
29De Anza CollegeCA$5,62515,264
30Brazosport CollegeTX$5,6412,622
31City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington CollegeIL$5,7504,207
32Mt San Antonio CollegeCA$5,88026,140
33College of the MainlandTX$5,9603,368
34Macomb Community CollegeMI$6,00013,876
35St Charles Community CollegeMO$6,1875,017
36Lake Land CollegeIL$6,1882,448
37Southwest Texas CollegeTX$6,2003,306
38Inter American University of Puerto Rico-AguadillaPR$6,2502,906
39McHenry County CollegeIL$6,2604,691
40Jones County Junior CollegeMS$6,2913,535
41Inter American University of Puerto Rico-PoncePR$6,3752,404
42Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeGA$6,4214,244
43Santa Monica CollegeCA$6,45021,440
44Irvine Valley CollegeCA$6,50010,286
45City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright CollegeIL$6,5004,372
46Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeMA$6,5003,837
47Northwest Mississippi Community CollegeMS$6,5005,452
48Wayne Community CollegeNC$6,5002,739
49Spartanburg Community CollegeSC$6,5005,006
50El Paso Community CollegeTX$6,56624,214
51Springfield Technical Community CollegeMA$6,5704,759
52Central New Mexico Community CollegeNM$6,61215,203
53Pasadena City CollegeCA$6,65121,466
54Saint Louis Community CollegeMO$6,72511,788
55Phoenix CollegeAZ$6,7508,555
56GateWay Community CollegeAZ$6,7504,538
57Cochise County Community College DistrictAZ$6,7503,096
58San Diego Miramar CollegeCA$6,75011,271
59Coalinga CollegeCA$6,7502,522
60Lake-Sumter State CollegeFL$6,7504,177
61Central Texas CollegeTX$6,7506,247
62Lewis and Clark Community CollegeIL$6,7512,487
63Northeast State Community CollegeTN$6,8274,404
64Aims Community CollegeCO$6,8443,635
65Santa Ana CollegeCA$6,87122,485
66Dyersburg State Community CollegeTN$6,9002,103
67Southwestern Illinois CollegeIL$6,9085,675
68Glendale Community CollegeAZ$6,96011,975
69Florida Gateway CollegeFL$6,9922,301
70Paradise Valley Community CollegeAZ$6,9955,117
71City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman CollegeIL$6,9972,505
72Pima Community CollegeAZ$7,00014,242
73Chandler-Gilbert Community CollegeAZ$7,0005,051
74Waubonsee Community CollegeIL$7,0005,721
75York Technical CollegeSC$7,0003,816
76Snow CollegeUT$7,0003,549
77Palm Beach State CollegeFL$7,08121,956
78CUNY Kingsborough Community CollegeNY$7,1007,670
79Gulf Coast State CollegeFL$7,1473,934
80Golden West CollegeCA$7,1799,034
81Middlesex Community CollegeMA$7,2915,412
82South Florida State CollegeFL$7,3682,045
83Elgin Community CollegeIL$7,3906,648
84CUNY LaGuardia Community CollegeNY$7,40711,254
85Mesa Community CollegeAZ$7,47314,460
86Estrella Mountain Community CollegeAZ$7,5004,512
87San Joaquin Delta CollegeCA$7,50015,781
88Broward CollegeFL$7,50024,922
89Pensacola State CollegeFL$7,5007,538
90Collin County Community College DistrictTX$7,50026,449
91Lee CollegeTX$7,5005,116
92Northcentral Technical CollegeWI$7,5003,257
93Passaic County Community CollegeNJ$7,5364,260
94Volunteer State Community CollegeTN$7,5505,339
95CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNY$7,57418,623
96Itawamba Community CollegeMS$7,6314,167
97Tallahassee State CollegeFL$7,66811,053
98San Diego City CollegeCA$7,68910,441
99Wharton County Junior CollegeTX$7,7034,585
100Odessa CollegeTX$7,7504,654

About this ranking

Median debt is the median cumulative federal loan balance among the Scorecard completer cohort with debt. This ranking surfaces institutions of at least 2,000 students with the lowest published median, drawn from the College Scorecard file. It does not measure private debt, parent borrowing, or the share of students who borrowed. Read it alongside borrowing prevalence, net price, completion, and institution-level former-student earnings.

Read the full methodology and data sources →

Caveats and limitations

Median debt is calculated only among students who actually took out federal loans - it says nothing about what share of a school's students borrow in the first place. A school could have a low median among borrowers while most of its students borrow, or a higher median while few students borrow at all.

The figures reflect a cohort that borrowed several years ago, so a school's current financial-aid policy may differ from what this data shows. Private loans and parent PLUS loans are not included, only federal student debt in the borrower's own name.

This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Debt figures are cohort averages and do not predict any individual student's borrowing outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Rankings are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.