A new analysis says Maryland has the highest average student loan debt per borrower, coming in at more than $40,000 each.
Degree Choices, an organization dedicated to helping students with their higher education journey, analyzed federal data to rank the states with the most student loan debt.
The top five states are all on the East Coast, with Maryland in first at $43,116 per borrower. Georgia comes in second with an average of $41,775 each, Virginia with $39,599, Florida at $38,683 and South Carolina borrowers showing an average of $38,360.
The bottom five states all show an average of less than $32,000 per borrower.
North Dakota has the least amount of average student loan borrower debt per borrower, at $30,000. Wyoming is second-to-last at $30,357, after Iowa at $30,759. South Dakota and Oklahoma come in at $31,746 and $31,875, respectively.
Student loan debt nationwide has hit more than $1.7 trillion as officials in Washington struggle to find solutions.
Democrats have been aiming to forgive some of the loans, and the Biden administration previously tried to provide blanket debt relief to all borrowers. The effort was shot down by the Supreme Court in June.
Now, the Department of Education has held multiple meetings looking at a second attempt to provide student loan forgiveness, but it seems this effort will not be universal but more tailored to specific groups.
Republicans have been against student debt relief but have proposed legislation that aims to lower the cost of college and make the price of getting a degree more transparent.