Avg Debt of 2008 California College Grads Among Lowest in US (renting, student loans)

[FresnoFacts]

Although the cost of attending a California public college has risen sharply in the last couple of years, here is an interesting study showing where we just were as a state.

2008 graduates of public and private colleges in California had the 44th lowest level of debt (student loans, etc).

It will be interesting to see how these numbers change relative to each other for all states over the next 3 or 4 years.

10 lowest student debt states:
Utah $13,041
Hawaii $15,156
Kentucky $15,951
Wyoming $16,307
Arizona $17,059
Georgia $17,296
California $17,795
Louisiana $17,827
Nevada $17,921
Colorado $18,321

Highest student debt state
Iowa $28,174

Want lower student loans? Study in Utah or Hawaii, study finds | csmonitor.com

Average student debt by state and school can be found using the map at:
Project on Student Debt: Home

[Snort]

I figured Iowa to be the most expensive. Corn paradise, exceptional weather, culture, haute cuisine...You're not just getting a fine education,you're livin' la vida loca!

[Majin]

Odd that the first few are backwater states then California is randomly in there.

[onechase]

There's nothing odd about it-- California still has the best public university system in the country. No other state has even close to the variety of world-class undergraduate and graduate schools that California has. Fees have been increasing, but are still waaay below fees for top public schools in other states. Dollar for dollar, you get tremendous value for your money when you get a UC education.

Californians like to complain, and they don't like to pay taxes, but for now we still have top-notch publicly supported colleges and universities at what most other Americans would consider very reasonable prices.

[CA central coast]

I'd like to see a comparison of tuition rates between each state for their respective public universities and colleges. Anyone? It'd be interesting. Is U of Iowa more expensive to attend than UCLA? I know there is a tuition rate difference between our UC and CSU systems. That's why a Cal Poly-SLO education is a HELL of a bargain...........but, it's the cost of renting in SLO that'll put you in the poor house.

[FresnoFacts]

Originally Posted by CA central coast

I'd like to see a comparison of tuition rates between each state for their respective public universities and colleges. Anyone?

Sure, just go the Project on Student Debt website and click each state on this map. It brings up all public and private schools included in the study and info on tuition and average debt for students at that school.
Project on Student Debt: State by State Data

Originally Posted by CA central coast

It'd be interesting. Is U of Iowa more expensive to attend than UCLA? I know there is a tuition rate difference between our UC and CSU systems. That's why a Cal Poly-SLO education is a HELL of a bargain...........but, it's the cost of renting in SLO that'll put you in the poor house.

They list UCLA as
2007-2008 In-State tuition of $7,165
Average debt of 2008 grads as $16,733

For U of I
2007-2008 In-State tuition of $6,293
Average debt of 2008 grads as $22,856

Interestingly at Iowa State its
2007-2008 In-State tuition of $6,161
Average debt of 2008 grads as $31,616