WASHINGTON STATE

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​​​Student debt below average in Washington

While student debt is on the rise, locally and nationally, there is a little good news for the residents of Washington state – we have less debt than many other states.

A report released by the Institute for College Access and Success analyzed the data on loans from 2012 and showed our state is doing comparatively well when it comes to combating the rising issue of debt among college graduates. A new infographic assembled by Wonkblog shows how we stack up.

The average debt for a graduate in Washington is $23,293, with 56 percent of students having debt upon graduation. Those figures ranked 36th and 32nd respectively compared to other states.

Nationally, 71 percent of graduates have debt. The average debt load is $29,400 per borrower – a 6 percent increase since the last assessment done by the Institute in 2008.