Higher Education

An in-depth study of financial aid, student demographics and outcome data from post-secondary institutions.

Comprised of 7,506 higher education institutions.

Search over 7,506 universities.

National Rankings

Below is a state-by-state ranking of higher education financing, financial aid, and student outcomes. Roll your mouse over bars in each graph to find information on a particular state. A full overview of federal education programs is available in the Background & Analysis section.

Direct Loan Volume 2009

  • Alaska
    N/A
  • North Dakota
    $94,218
  • Vermont
    $273,736
  • Hawaii
    $400,394
  • South Dakota
    $628,937
  • Montana
    $793,514
  • Wyoming
    $1,020,008
  • Utah
    $1,896,762
  • New Mexico
    $2,445,852
  • Mississippi
    $31,046,971
  • Arkansas
    $33,764,998
  • Puerto Rico
    $60,104,703
  • Louisiana
    $68,515,436
  • New Hampshire
    $69,388,583
  • Maine
    $100,683,166
  • Nebraska
    $132,630,297
  • Delaware
    $138,832,614
  • Oklahoma
    $144,991,346
  • Nevada
    $157,599,042
  • Rhode Island
    $170,758,994
  • South Carolina
    $172,215,679
  • Idaho
    $249,678,632
  • Connecticut
    $316,933,899
  • Wisconsin
    $319,284,112
  • Kentucky
    $334,654,804
  • North Carolina
    $377,621,758
  • West Virginia
    $393,404,238
  • District of Columbia
    $403,217,742
  • Tennessee
    $419,056,348
  • Kansas
    $463,839,464
  • Missouri
    $474,387,481
  • Oregon
    $507,292,404
  • Washington
    $567,099,407
  • New Jersey
    $660,396,935
  • Arizona
    $703,770,408
  • Alabama
    $713,704,431
  • Virginia
    $773,058,163
  • Colorado
    $782,788,935
  • Pennsylvania
    $819,764,557
  • Maryland
    $823,058,079
  • Minnesota
    $870,840,788
  • Iowa
    $883,058,618
  • Georgia
    $1,084,305,888
  • Texas
    $1,127,629,719
  • Indiana
    $1,160,389,688
  • Florida
    $1,224,285,049
  • Massachusetts
    $1,558,462,600
  • Ohio
    $1,631,441,008
  • Illinois
    $1,729,949,807
  • New York
    $2,152,210,718
  • Michigan
    $2,292,638,187
  • California
    $2,629,055,382

Guaranteed Loan Volume 2009

  • Wyoming
    $81,795,648
  • Alaska
    $84,037,070
  • Delaware
    $113,079,536
  • Idaho
    $121,611,434
  • Hawaii
    $203,335,407
  • Montana
    $218,720,967
  • North Dakota
    $230,272,826
  • Maine
    $233,585,223
  • Nevada
    $258,099,645
  • West Virginia
    $258,614,971
  • South Dakota
    $266,298,340
  • Puerto Rico
    $280,842,893
  • Vermont
    $307,969,439
  • Rhode Island
    $322,063,046
  • New Mexico
    $356,549,050
  • Kansas
    $359,626,277
  • New Hampshire
    $383,693,686
  • Nebraska
    $475,038,798
  • Connecticut
    $553,502,452
  • District of Columbia
    $567,965,925
  • Arkansas
    $598,090,104
  • Maryland
    $610,426,908
  • Mississippi
    $621,275,865
  • Utah
    $646,952,055
  • Washington
    $703,493,630
  • Oklahoma
    $710,733,834
  • Oregon
    $724,487,369
  • New Jersey
    $735,970,294
  • Alabama
    $828,083,885
  • Kentucky
    $905,514,235
  • Louisiana
    $908,822,510
  • Massachusetts
    $1,048,767,431
  • South Carolina
    $1,054,967,668
  • Colorado
    $1,091,070,594
  • Michigan
    $1,155,850,161
  • Indiana
    $1,207,999,315
  • Wisconsin
    $1,223,401,624
  • Tennessee
    $1,243,188,688
  • North Carolina
    $1,562,753,411
  • Georgia
    $1,570,214,590
  • Missouri
    $1,717,526,934
  • Virginia
    $1,723,887,827
  • Iowa
    $1,800,898,983
  • Minnesota
    $2,083,809,196
  • Ohio
    $2,464,552,074
  • Texas
    $3,794,976,697
  • Illinois
    $3,838,804,012
  • Florida
    $3,941,731,835
  • New York
    $4,207,751,396
  • Pennsylvania
    $4,323,137,490
  • California
    $5,112,722,402
  • Arizona
    $6,101,216,258

Pell Grant Volume 2009

  • Alaska
    $23,900,000
  • Wyoming
    $37,300,000
  • Vermont
    $40,300,000
  • Delaware
    $47,800,000
  • Hawaii
    $58,900,000
  • North Dakota
    $59,100,000
  • New Hampshire
    $62,900,000
  • Montana
    $76,400,000
  • South Dakota
    $80,200,000
  • Nevada
    $94,600,000
  • Maine
    $97,100,000
  • Rhode Island
    $110,700,000
  • District of Columbia
    $120,900,000
  • Nebraska
    $125,200,000
  • Idaho
    $154,500,000
  • New Mexico
    $200,100,000
  • West Virginia
    $200,600,000
  • Connecticut
    $205,500,000
  • Kansas
    $231,100,000
  • Utah
    $285,400,000
  • Arkansas
    $303,900,000
  • Oklahoma
    $332,600,000
  • Oregon
    $335,600,000
  • Wisconsin
    $354,900,000
  • Maryland
    $359,700,000
  • South Carolina
    $395,300,000
  • Mississippi
    $413,300,000
  • Washington
    $419,200,000
  • Massachusetts
    $420,300,000
  • Louisiana
    $422,100,000
  • Minnesota
    $425,800,000
  • Kentucky
    $433,300,000
  • Colorado
    $434,100,000
  • Missouri
    $537,900,000
  • Virginia
    $545,000,000
  • Alabama
    $564,300,000
  • Tennessee
    $568,400,000
  • Indiana
    $586,400,000
  • New Jersey
    $587,100,000
  • Iowa
    $591,000,000
  • North Carolina
    $752,800,000
  • Georgia
    $960,200,000
  • Michigan
    $964,600,000
  • Pennsylvania
    $1,039,100,000
  • Ohio
    $1,118,700,000
  • Puerto Rico
    $1,130,200,000
  • Illinois
    $1,180,900,000
  • Arizona
    $1,600,800,000
  • Florida
    $1,721,400,000
  • New York
    $1,862,600,000
  • Texas
    $2,077,300,000
  • California
    $3,340,700,000

Percent of Students Receiving Any Financial Aid 2009

  • Hawaii
    60%
  • California
    68%
  • Washington
    69%
  • Utah
    69%
  • North Carolina
    70%
  • Maryland
    71%
  • New Jersey
    72%
  • Virginia
    73%
  • District of Columbia
    73%
  • Colorado
    74%
  • Connecticut
    74%
  • Illinois
    74%
  • Wisconsin
    75%
  • Alaska
    75%
  • Oregon
    76%
  • Texas
    77%
  • Massachusetts
    77%
  • Delaware
    78%
  • Nevada
    79%
  • Rhode Island
    79%
  • Indiana
    79%
  • Kansas
    80%
  • Idaho
    80%
  • Pennsylvania
    80%
  • Florida
    80%
  • Alabama
    81%
  • New York
    81%
  • Maine
    81%
  • New Hampshire
    81%
  • Nebraska
    82%
  • Oklahoma
    82%
  • Montana
    83%
  • West Virginia
    83%
  • Wyoming
    83%
  • Arizona
    83%
  • Minnesota
    84%
  • Iowa
    84%
  • Arkansas
    84%
  • North Dakota
    85%
  • Missouri
    85%
  • Vermont
    85%
  • Michigan
    86%
  • Ohio
    86%
  • Tennessee
    86%
  • Georgia
    86%
  • Louisiana
    87%
  • New Mexico
    88%
  • Mississippi
    89%
  • Puerto Rico
    89%
  • South Carolina
    90%
  • South Dakota
    91%
  • Kentucky
    94%

Average Total Federal Grant Aid Received 2009

  • Utah
    $3,354
  • Nevada
    $3,402
  • Tennessee
    $3,417
  • Montana
    $3,434
  • Delaware
    $3,485
  • New Jersey
    $3,497
  • North Dakota
    $3,514
  • Idaho
    $3,561
  • Nebraska
    $3,570
  • Alaska
    $3,581
  • Hawaii
    $3,593
  • Connecticut
    $3,593
  • Rhode Island
    $3,607
  • Iowa
    $3,637
  • Oregon
    $3,667
  • Kansas
    $3,668
  • Louisiana
    $3,682
  • Colorado
    $3,700
  • Virginia
    $3,740
  • Arkansas
    $3,748
  • Oklahoma
    $3,750
  • Florida
    $3,752
  • West Virginia
    $3,783
  • Wyoming
    $3,784
  • Alabama
    $3,821
  • Ohio
    $3,821
  • Michigan
    $3,830
  • New Mexico
    $3,832
  • Georgia
    $3,846
  • Illinois
    $3,850
  • Texas
    $3,854
  • New York
    $3,857
  • Arizona
    $3,860
  • Maryland
    $3,914
  • Missouri
    $3,922
  • District of Columbia
    $3,950
  • Pennsylvania
    $3,952
  • California
    $3,957
  • Maine
    $3,999
  • Mississippi
    $4,014
  • Minnesota
    $4,015
  • North Carolina
    $4,016
  • Puerto Rico
    $4,018
  • South Carolina
    $4,035
  • Kentucky
    $4,036
  • Indiana
    $4,080
  • South Dakota
    $4,082
  • Wisconsin
    $4,090
  • Massachusetts
    $4,137
  • Washington
    $4,240
  • Vermont
    $4,465
  • New Hampshire
    $4,523

Percent of Students Receiving Federal Aid 2009

  • Vermont
    22%
  • District of Columbia
    24%
  • Wyoming
    25%
  • New Hampshire
    25%
  • Wisconsin
    27%
  • Utah
    28%
  • North Dakota
    29%
  • Alaska
    29%
  • Delaware
    31%
  • Washington
    31%
  • Massachusetts
    32%
  • Hawaii
    32%
  • Minnesota
    32%
  • Nebraska
    33%
  • Kansas
    33%
  • Rhode Island
    33%
  • Indiana
    34%
  • Virginia
    34%
  • Pennsylvania
    34%
  • Iowa
    34%
  • Connecticut
    35%
  • South Dakota
    36%
  • Colorado
    37%
  • North Carolina
    37%
  • Maryland
    37%
  • Idaho
    38%
  • Montana
    38%
  • Oregon
    38%
  • Maine
    39%
  • South Carolina
    40%
  • Ohio
    40%
  • West Virginia
    40%
  • Missouri
    40%
  • Illinois
    40%
  • Michigan
    41%
  • Nevada
    41%
  • New Jersey
    43%
  • Alabama
    43%
  • Kentucky
    43%
  • New York
    44%
  • California
    44%
  • Louisiana
    46%
  • Georgia
    46%
  • Tennessee
    46%
  • Florida
    46%
  • Oklahoma
    46%
  • Arkansas
    48%
  • New Mexico
    48%
  • Texas
    50%
  • Mississippi
    55%
  • Arizona
    59%
  • Puerto Rico
    87%

Average Total Loan Aid Received 2009

  • Puerto Rico
    $2,376
  • Mississippi
    $5,148
  • Louisiana
    $5,239
  • Montana
    $5,459
  • Kansas
    $5,501
  • Idaho
    $5,547
  • West Virginia
    $5,627
  • Arkansas
    $5,688
  • Utah
    $5,727
  • Nebraska
    $5,801
  • Oklahoma
    $5,998
  • New Mexico
    $6,049
  • Wisconsin
    $6,133
  • Hawaii
    $6,146
  • Tennessee
    $6,178
  • Oregon
    $6,195
  • North Carolina
    $6,277
  • New York
    $6,300
  • Kentucky
    $6,317
  • South Carolina
    $6,326
  • Georgia
    $6,378
  • Iowa
    $6,418
  • South Dakota
    $6,420
  • Alabama
    $6,457
  • Texas
    $6,546
  • Virginia
    $6,584
  • Missouri
    $6,597
  • Washington
    $6,625
  • Ohio
    $6,663
  • Maryland
    $6,664
  • California
    $6,727
  • Maine
    $6,772
  • Indiana
    $6,826
  • Colorado
    $6,836
  • Michigan
    $6,884
  • Vermont
    $6,923
  • Nevada
    $6,992
  • Rhode Island
    $7,023
  • North Dakota
    $7,130
  • Illinois
    $7,172
  • Minnesota
    $7,214
  • New Jersey
    $7,217
  • Delaware
    $7,321
  • Massachusetts
    $7,342
  • Connecticut
    $7,345
  • Florida
    $7,578
  • Pennsylvania
    $7,973
  • New Hampshire
    $7,999
  • Alaska
    $8,617
  • District of Columbia
    $8,876
  • Arizona
    $9,279
  • Wyoming
    $10,373

Percent of Students Receiving Student Loan Aid 2009

  • Puerto Rico
    7%
  • Hawaii
    31%
  • Utah
    33%
  • New Mexico
    34%
  • Mississippi
    37%
  • California
    39%
  • Wyoming
    41%
  • North Carolina
    41%
  • Tennessee
    41%
  • Alabama
    41%
  • Washington
    41%
  • Florida
    42%
  • Oklahoma
    45%
  • Alaska
    46%
  • Arkansas
    46%
  • Maryland
    46%
  • Nevada
    46%
  • Louisiana
    46%
  • Georgia
    47%
  • Idaho
    47%
  • New York
    48%
  • Kansas
    48%
  • Virginia
    48%
  • South Carolina
    49%
  • Montana
    49%
  • New Jersey
    49%
  • Delaware
    49%
  • Texas
    50%
  • Connecticut
    50%
  • Kentucky
    51%
  • Illinois
    51%
  • District of Columbia
    51%
  • Missouri
    52%
  • Oregon
    53%
  • Colorado
    53%
  • West Virginia
    53%
  • Michigan
    54%
  • Indiana
    55%
  • Massachusetts
    56%
  • Nebraska
    56%
  • Wisconsin
    58%
  • Minnesota
    61%
  • Ohio
    61%
  • North Dakota
    62%
  • Rhode Island
    63%
  • Iowa
    63%
  • Vermont
    63%
  • Maine
    63%
  • Pennsylvania
    65%
  • New Hampshire
    68%
  • South Dakota
    70%
  • Arizona
    74%

Four-year Graduation Rate for Bachelor's Degrees 2009

  • Puerto Rico
    6%
  • Nevada
    12%
  • Alaska
    12%
  • New Mexico
    14%
  • Hawaii
    16%
  • South Dakota
    18%
  • Michigan
    19%
  • Montana
    19%
  • Utah
    19%
  • Louisiana
    19%
  • Oklahoma
    20%
  • North Dakota
    21%
  • Alabama
    21%
  • West Virginia
    22%
  • Texas
    22%
  • Wyoming
    22%
  • Georgia
    22%
  • Arkansas
    23%
  • Arizona
    24%
  • Idaho
    25%
  • Colorado
    26%
  • Kansas
    26%
  • Missouri
    27%
  • Nebraska
    27%
  • Florida
    27%
  • Mississippi
    27%
  • Tennessee
    29%
  • Delaware
    30%
  • North Carolina
    30%
  • Ohio
    30%
  • Kentucky
    30%
  • New Jersey
    31%
  • South Carolina
    32%
  • Minnesota
    33%
  • Wisconsin
    34%
  • California
    35%
  • New York
    35%
  • Illinois
    35%
  • Oregon
    35%
  • Indiana
    35%
  • Maine
    36%
  • Vermont
    37%
  • Iowa
    37%
  • Washington
    39%
  • New Hampshire
    39%
  • Virginia
    41%
  • Massachusetts
    43%
  • District of Columbia
    44%
  • Pennsylvania
    44%
  • Connecticut
    44%
  • Maryland
    45%
  • Rhode Island
    58%

Total Graduation Rate 2009

  • New Mexico
    29%
  • Alabama
    36%
  • Hawaii
    39%
  • Alaska
    39%
  • Montana
    41%
  • North Carolina
    42%
  • Wyoming
    43%
  • Georgia
    44%
  • South Carolina
    44%
  • North Dakota
    45%
  • Maine
    45%
  • Mississippi
    46%
  • Arkansas
    46%
  • Kentucky
    47%
  • Michigan
    47%
  • Delaware
    47%
  • Oregon
    47%
  • South Dakota
    47%
  • Indiana
    47%
  • Texas
    47%
  • Virginia
    48%
  • Minnesota
    48%
  • Arizona
    48%
  • Louisiana
    49%
  • Kansas
    49%
  • Colorado
    49%
  • Nevada
    49%
  • Puerto Rico
    51%
  • Washington
    52%
  • Illinois
    53%
  • Connecticut
    53%
  • Maryland
    53%
  • New Hampshire
    54%
  • Oklahoma
    54%
  • Tennessee
    54%
  • Nebraska
    54%
  • Missouri
    55%
  • West Virginia
    55%
  • New York
    55%
  • Florida
    56%
  • Ohio
    56%
  • California
    56%
  • Idaho
    57%
  • Wisconsin
    57%
  • Vermont
    57%
  • New Jersey
    57%
  • Iowa
    58%
  • Utah
    59%
  • District of Columbia
    60%
  • Massachusetts
    60%
  • Pennsylvania
    63%
  • Rhode Island
    66%