Lowest median debt among completers
Executive Summary
Lowest median debt for completers (Scorecard field). Lower borrowing is not automatically “better aid”—grant aid and family contribution matter. Berea College leads this list at $3,591 (Median Debt).
Leaders: top 3
Berea College
Median Debt
$3,591
University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo
Median Debt
$4,500
North American University
Median Debt
$4,925
Top 100 Lowest median debt among completers
| Rank | Institution | State | Control | Enrollment | Median Debt | Also see |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berea College | KY | Private nonprofit | 1,513 | $3,591 | 6yr earn $35,676 |
| 2 | University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo | PR | Public | 2,669 | $4,500 | 6yr earn $19,546 |
| 3 | North American University | TX | Private nonprofit | 609 | $4,925 | 6yr earn $32,221 |
| 4 | University of Puerto Rico at Cayey | PR | Public | 2,069 | $5,000 | 6yr earn $21,819 |
| 5 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas | PR | Private nonprofit | 937 | $5,200 | 6yr earn $18,186 |
| 6 | Atlantic University | PR | Private nonprofit | 1,451 | $5,457 | 6yr earn $19,079 |
| 7 | University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras | PR | Public | 8,572 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $22,417 |
| 8 | University of Puerto Rico | PR | Public | 2,851 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $22,382 |
| 9 | University of Puerto Rico-Humacao | PR | Public | 2,529 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $20,013 |
| 10 | University of Puerto Rico-Carolina | PR | Public | 2,404 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $22,317 |
| 11 | University of Puerto Rico at Ponce | PR | Public | 2,278 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $22,404 |
| 12 | University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | PR | Public | 1,883 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $18,193 |
| 13 | Albizu University-San Juan | PR | Private nonprofit | 728 | $5,500 | 6yr earn $32,168 |
| 14 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo | PR | Private nonprofit | 1,072 | $5,750 | 6yr earn $21,557 |
| 15 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla | PR | Private nonprofit | 2,906 | $6,250 | 6yr earn $23,322 |
| 16 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce | PR | Private nonprofit | 2,404 | $6,375 | 6yr earn $22,276 |
| 17 | Boricua College | NY | Private nonprofit | 391 | $6,733 | 6yr earn $30,398 |
| 18 | University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez | PR | Public | 9,539 | $8,250 | 6yr earn $32,706 |
| 19 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon | PR | Private nonprofit | 3,476 | $8,250 | 6yr earn $23,776 |
| 20 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German | PR | Private nonprofit | 2,569 | $8,500 | 6yr earn $21,573 |
| 21 | United States Merchant Marine Academy | NY | Public | 962 | $8,833 | 6yr earn $96,770 |
| 22 | Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music | PR | Public | 307 | $8,875 | 6yr earn $9,910 |
| 23 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo | PR | Private nonprofit | 2,220 | $9,000 | 6yr earn $22,401 |
| 24 | Universidad Central de Bayamon | PR | Private nonprofit | 539 | $9,393 | 6yr earn $19,745 |
| 25 | Brigham Young University-Hawaii | HI | Private nonprofit | 2,889 | $9,413 | 6yr earn $39,316 |
| 26 | Arizona College of Nursing-Phoenix | AZ | Private for-profit | 1,229 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 27 | Arizona College of Nursing-Las Vegas | NV | Private for-profit | 1,222 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 28 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tempe | AZ | Private for-profit | 1,202 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 29 | Arizona College of Nursing-Southfield | MI | Private for-profit | 594 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 30 | Arizona College of Nursing-Dallas | TX | Private for-profit | 588 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 31 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tucson | AZ | Private for-profit | 562 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 32 | Brookline College-Albuquerque | NM | Private for-profit | 542 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,705 |
| 33 | Arizona College of Nursing-Fort Lauderdale | FL | Private for-profit | 428 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 34 | Arizona College of Nursing-Ontario | CA | Private for-profit | 380 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 35 | Arizona College of Nursing-Falls Church | VA | Private for-profit | 348 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 36 | Arizona College of Nursing-Aurora | CO | Private for-profit | 336 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 37 | Arizona College of Nursing-Tampa | FL | Private for-profit | 335 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 38 | Arizona College of Nursing - Hartford | CT | Private for-profit | 334 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 39 | Arizona College of Nursing-Salt Lake City | UT | Private for-profit | 306 | $9,500 | 6yr earn $32,840 |
| 40 | Wellesley College | MA | Private nonprofit | 2,300 | $10,000 | 6yr earn $65,961 |
| 41 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | Private nonprofit | 5,693 | $10,250 | 6yr earn $86,306 |
| 42 | CUNY Queens College | NY | Public | 12,550 | $10,298 | 6yr earn $48,548 |
| 43 | Princeton University | NJ | Private nonprofit | 5,709 | $10,320 | 6yr earn $87,815 |
| 44 | Caribbean University-Ponce | PR | Private nonprofit | 414 | $10,500 | 6yr earn $18,349 |
| 45 | CUNY New York City College of Technology | NY | Public | 13,580 | $10,533 | 6yr earn $39,982 |
| 46 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | Public | 10,696 | $10,950 | 6yr earn $51,067 |
| 47 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro | PR | Private nonprofit | 2,607 | $10,975 | 6yr earn $27,318 |
| 48 | CUNY Medgar Evers College | NY | Public | 3,233 | $10,988 | 6yr earn $37,538 |
| 49 | CUNY Hunter College | NY | Public | 16,289 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $50,414 |
| 50 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | Public | 11,590 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $50,293 |
| 51 | CUNY Brooklyn College | NY | Public | 10,543 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $45,035 |
| 52 | Rice University | TX | Private nonprofit | 4,776 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $79,751 |
| 53 | CUNY York College | NY | Public | 4,345 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $46,148 |
| 54 | SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | NY | Public | 1,839 | $11,000 | 6yr earn $48,327 |
| 55 | Brigham Young University | UT | Private nonprofit | 32,952 | $11,069 | 6yr earn $58,450 |
| 56 | Western Governors University | UT | Private nonprofit | 155,088 | $11,116 | 6yr earn $69,572 |
| 57 | New Mexico Highlands University | NM | Public | 1,451 | $11,399 | 6yr earn $38,952 |
| 58 | Brown University | RI | Private nonprofit | 7,226 | $11,428 | 6yr earn $79,131 |
| 59 | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | NY | Public | 16,154 | $11,512 | 6yr earn $61,542 |
| 60 | Pomona College | CA | Private nonprofit | 1,666 | $11,782 | 6yr earn $60,850 |
| 61 | CUNY City College | NY | Public | 12,505 | $11,990 | 6yr earn $46,435 |
| 62 | Stanford University | CA | Private nonprofit | 7,554 | $12,000 | 6yr earn $102,887 |
| 63 | Florida College | FL | Private nonprofit | 588 | $12,000 | 6yr earn $42,430 |
| 64 | Ana G. Mendez University | FL | Private nonprofit | 4,763 | $12,188 | 6yr earn — |
| 65 | Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | TX | Public | 1,482 | $12,268 | 6yr earn $84,007 |
| 66 | Parker University | TX | Private nonprofit | 607 | $12,288 | 6yr earn $44,181 |
| 67 | Southern Utah University | UT | Public | 9,289 | $12,500 | 6yr earn $41,147 |
| 68 | Thomas Edison State University | NJ | Public | 6,707 | $12,500 | 6yr earn $65,570 |
| 69 | Oklahoma Panhandle State University | OK | Public | 917 | $12,500 | 6yr earn $39,089 |
| 70 | College Unbound | RI | Private nonprofit | 491 | $12,500 | 6yr earn — |
| 71 | The University of Tennessee Health Science Center | TN | Public | 394 | $12,500 | 6yr earn $68,668 |
| 72 | The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | TX | Public | 334 | $12,500 | 6yr earn $72,924 |
| 73 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | Public | 3,254 | $12,584 | 6yr earn $68,616 |
| 74 | Lionel University | CA | Private for-profit | 370 | $12,668 | 6yr earn — |
| 75 | California State University-Monterey Bay | CA | Public | 6,819 | $12,750 | 6yr earn $48,648 |
| 76 | Williams College | MA | Private nonprofit | 2,076 | $12,761 | 6yr earn $71,754 |
| 77 | Dalton State College | GA | Public | 4,553 | $12,937 | 6yr earn $37,491 |
| 78 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | TX | Public | 28,666 | $12,950 | 6yr earn $35,812 |
| 79 | Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | IA | Private nonprofit | 405 | $12,971 | 6yr earn $33,372 |
| 80 | Yale University | CT | Private nonprofit | 6,758 | $12,975 | 6yr earn $81,765 |
| 81 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | Public | 33,068 | $13,000 | 6yr earn $74,919 |
| 82 | University of California-Davis | CA | Public | 32,253 | $13,000 | 6yr earn $58,461 |
| 83 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | Public | 19,562 | $13,000 | 6yr earn $45,702 |
| 84 | Duke University | NC | Private nonprofit | 6,442 | $13,000 | 6yr earn $85,792 |
| 85 | The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | TX | Public | 465 | $13,063 | 6yr earn $89,371 |
| 86 | The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston | TX | Public | 545 | $13,396 | 6yr earn $82,535 |
| 87 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus | PR | Private nonprofit | 7,868 | $13,448 | 6yr earn $23,727 |
| 88 | Claremont McKenna College | CA | Private nonprofit | 1,388 | $13,500 | 6yr earn $87,603 |
| 89 | Scripps College | CA | Private nonprofit | 1,113 | $13,500 | 6yr earn $68,027 |
| 90 | California State University-Stanislaus | CA | Public | 8,385 | $13,540 | 6yr earn $47,793 |
| 91 | Haverford College | PA | Private nonprofit | 1,430 | $13,621 | 6yr earn $53,353 |
| 92 | Amherst College | MA | Private nonprofit | 1,911 | $13,740 | 6yr earn $62,537 |
| 93 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | Public | 38,546 | $13,750 | 6yr earn $48,558 |
| 94 | Excelsior University | NY | Private nonprofit | 11,550 | $13,769 | 6yr earn $63,796 |
| 95 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | Public | 12,538 | $13,807 | 6yr earn $46,827 |
| 96 | Middlebury College | VT | Private nonprofit | 2,738 | $13,857 | 6yr earn $57,291 |
| 97 | California State University-Northridge | CA | Public | 32,691 | $13,872 | 6yr earn $44,372 |
| 98 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | Public | 23,113 | $13,993 | 6yr earn $56,852 |
| 99 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | Public | 33,475 | $14,000 | 6yr earn $59,063 |
| 100 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | Public | 20,752 | $14,000 | 6yr earn $57,057 |
Method notes
- Underlying institution file: EDsmart Data processed College Scorecard extract merged to the IPEDS 2024 directory for HBCU and Carnegie fields.
- Cohort applied on this page: enrollment floor of 200 undergraduates; sorted lowest first on Median Debt; 1,591 campuses met every filter and the top 100 are published.
- Ties on the ranked metric are broken by enrollment, then institution name, so ranks stay stable between rebuilds.
- ROI column matches the processed college_roi_rankings series in this site build; see College Scorecard ROI methodology.
- How the 10-year ROI figure is built: median earnings reported 6, 8, and 10 years after entry (years 7 and 9 linearly interpolated) are summed across years 6–10, then average annual net price × typical years enrolled (five for bachelor’s-predominant campuses) is subtracted. It is a nominal-dollar gap—not discounted to present value, and it does not subtract earnings foregone while enrolled or compare against a no-college baseline. Campuses reporting only one of the three earnings years are excluded from these tables.
- School profile links use generated slugs; not every campus has a published profile page yet—use the Scorecard site as fallback.