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 2011
- Wyoming$98,170,775
- Alaska$125,000,000
- North Dakota$236,000,000
- Delaware$238,000,000
- Hawaii$255,000,000
- Montana$278,000,000
- Vermont$335,000,000
- South Dakota$381,000,000
- Puerto Rico$400,000,000
- Maine$405,000,000
- New Mexico$407,000,000
- Nevada$413,000,000
- Idaho$464,000,000
- New Hampshire$510,000,000
- Rhode Island$547,000,000
- Arkansas$711,000,000
- Nebraska$726,000,000
- Mississippi$769,000,000
- West Virginia$833,000,000
- Kansas$936,000,000
- Utah$978,000,000
- Oklahoma$1,020,000,000
- Connecticut$1,030,000,000
- Louisiana$1,120,000,000
- South Carolina$1,300,000,000
- Washington$1,370,000,000
- Kentucky$1,430,000,000
- Oregon$1,450,000,000
- Alabama$1,590,000,000
- Maryland$1,610,000,000
- New Jersey$1,700,000,000
- Wisconsin$1,710,000,000
- District of Columbia$1,730,000,000
- Tennessee$1,940,000,000
- Colorado$2,220,000,000
- North Carolina$2,310,000,000
- Missouri$2,420,000,000
- Virginia$2,680,000,000
- Massachusetts$2,870,000,000
- Iowa$2,940,000,000
- Georgia$2,990,000,000
- Indiana$3,150,000,000
- Minnesota$3,430,000,000
- Michigan$3,700,000,000
- Ohio$4,220,000,000
- Pennsylvania$5,630,000,000
- Texas$5,830,000,000
- Illinois$6,060,000,000
- Florida$6,080,000,000
- Arizona$6,230,000,000
- New York$7,130,000,000
- California$8,860,000,000
Guaranteed Loan Volume 2010
- Alaska$15,557,755
- Delaware$25,163,716
- Wyoming$25,687,722
- Maine$38,267,733
- North Dakota$41,773,566
- Idaho$43,147,391
- Montana$45,412,070
- South Dakota$46,757,037
- Hawaii$52,224,668
- Vermont$56,370,629
- West Virginia$59,001,710
- New Hampshire$64,850,678
- Nevada$70,475,668
- Rhode Island$73,187,293
- New Mexico$92,986,116
- Puerto Rico$95,774,657
- Nebraska$110,898,582
- Kansas$118,529,650
- Arkansas$128,937,744
- Connecticut$130,588,774
- District of Columbia$140,184,797
- Maryland$163,392,981
- Mississippi$169,772,520
- Louisiana$186,900,697
- Oklahoma$205,245,297
- South Carolina$217,873,816
- Alabama$228,314,059
- Washington$231,318,147
- Utah$236,738,540
- Oregon$245,493,846
- Kentucky$255,996,888
- New Jersey$260,035,655
- Massachusetts$266,740,482
- Wisconsin$288,836,613
- Tennessee$318,907,445
- North Carolina$350,122,741
- Minnesota$363,541,955
- Indiana$388,413,719
- Colorado$416,789,140
- Missouri$505,148,567
- Georgia$507,834,854
- Virginia$511,163,332
- Michigan$513,647,624
- Ohio$588,020,376
- Iowa$783,333,315
- New York$845,421,219
- Texas$898,187,005
- Illinois$971,665,199
- Pennsylvania$983,837,692
- Florida$1,343,782,262
- California$1,717,812,110
- Arizona$2,813,082,846
Pell Grant Volume 2011
- Alaska$40,700,000
- Vermont$44,200,000
- Wyoming$51,600,000
- North Dakota$56,600,000
- Delaware$59,800,000
- New Hampshire$74,100,000
- Hawaii$82,400,000
- Montana$86,500,000
- South Dakota$98,100,000
- Maine$108,000,000
- Rhode Island$120,000,000
- Nevada$143,000,000
- Nebraska$157,000,000
- District of Columbia$160,000,000
- Idaho$202,000,000
- New Mexico$234,000,000
- West Virginia$244,000,000
- Connecticut$249,000,000
- Kansas$269,000,000
- Arkansas$330,000,000
- Oklahoma$374,000,000
- Maryland$413,000,000
- Utah$422,000,000
- Oregon$436,000,000
- Mississippi$440,000,000
- Louisiana$447,000,000
- South Carolina$448,000,000
- Wisconsin$449,000,000
- Massachusetts$471,000,000
- Kentucky$483,000,000
- Washington$497,000,000
- Colorado$569,000,000
- Minnesota$589,000,000
- New Jersey$645,000,000
- Missouri$653,000,000
- Alabama$656,000,000
- Tennessee$675,000,000
- Virginia$722,000,000
- Indiana$791,000,000
- Iowa$846,000,000
- North Carolina$913,000,000
- Puerto Rico$1,000,000,000
- Pennsylvania$1,100,000,000
- Michigan$1,200,000,000
- Georgia$1,250,000,000
- Ohio$1,350,000,000
- Illinois$1,470,000,000
- Arizona$1,820,000,000
- New York$1,990,000,000
- Florida$2,240,000,000
- Texas$2,420,000,000
- California$3,880,000,000
Percent of Students Receiving Any Financial Aid 2011
- Hawaii74%
- Washington75%
- Connecticut76%
- California79%
- Utah80%
- Delaware81%
- New Jersey81%
- Colorado81%
- Virginia81%
- North Carolina82%
- Maryland83%
- Maine83%
- Montana83%
- Alaska83%
- Rhode Island84%
- Idaho84%
- New Hampshire84%
- Nevada85%
- Texas85%
- Nebraska85%
- New York85%
- Oklahoma85%
- District of Columbia85%
- Massachusetts85%
- Oregon86%
- Illinois86%
- West Virginia86%
- Arizona86%
- Florida86%
- Louisiana87%
- Wisconsin88%
- North Dakota88%
- Vermont88%
- Michigan89%
- Kansas89%
- Ohio89%
- Tennessee89%
- New Mexico89%
- Missouri89%
- Mississippi89%
- Pennsylvania89%
- Indiana90%
- Wyoming90%
- Arkansas90%
- Iowa90%
- South Dakota91%
- South Carolina92%
- Alabama92%
- Minnesota92%
- Georgia92%
- Puerto Rico92%
- Kentucky94%
Average Total Federal Grant Aid Received 2011
- Delaware$3,904
- Hawaii$4,012
- Alaska$4,125
- Wyoming$4,230
- South Dakota$4,276
- Nebraska$4,282
- Nevada$4,291
- Connecticut$4,305
- Utah$4,325
- Florida$4,350
- New Jersey$4,363
- Tennessee$4,374
- Montana$4,391
- Maryland$4,429
- Kansas$4,432
- Oklahoma$4,439
- Colorado$4,451
- Arkansas$4,458
- Arizona$4,467
- Oregon$4,468
- Virginia$4,475
- District of Columbia$4,482
- West Virginia$4,486
- Ohio$4,486
- Louisiana$4,514
- Washington$4,521
- Pennsylvania$4,529
- Texas$4,536
- Illinois$4,540
- Idaho$4,540
- Missouri$4,549
- California$4,552
- Minnesota$4,560
- Kentucky$4,572
- North Dakota$4,578
- Maine$4,590
- Indiana$4,595
- Massachusetts$4,596
- Alabama$4,641
- Michigan$4,643
- South Carolina$4,648
- Wisconsin$4,653
- Mississippi$4,657
- New Hampshire$4,683
- New York$4,685
- North Carolina$4,704
- Iowa$4,740
- New Mexico$4,743
- Georgia$4,752
- Puerto Rico$4,820
- Rhode Island$4,953
- Vermont$5,091
Percent of Students Receiving Federal Aid 2011
- Vermont43%
- New Hampshire44%
- Rhode Island44%
- Nebraska47%
- Massachusetts50%
- Alaska50%
- Wyoming50%
- Delaware51%
- Washington51%
- Connecticut51%
- North Dakota54%
- Hawaii54%
- Maine54%
- Virginia56%
- Colorado56%
- District of Columbia56%
- South Dakota56%
- Maryland57%
- Pennsylvania57%
- New Jersey57%
- Kansas58%
- Minnesota58%
- Wisconsin58%
- Montana59%
- New York59%
- Iowa59%
- Utah59%
- Oregon61%
- Illinois62%
- California62%
- North Carolina64%
- Nevada64%
- Missouri64%
- Indiana64%
- West Virginia66%
- Idaho66%
- Ohio67%
- Michigan67%
- Oklahoma67%
- Alabama68%
- Florida68%
- South Carolina68%
- Arizona68%
- New Mexico68%
- Texas68%
- Georgia69%
- Arkansas69%
- Tennessee69%
- Louisiana70%
- Kentucky71%
- Mississippi73%
- Puerto Rico90%
Average Total Loan Aid Received 2011
- Puerto Rico$2,914
- Mississippi$4,849
- Arkansas$5,522
- Montana$5,577
- New Mexico$5,662
- Delaware$5,704
- Hawaii$5,830
- Oklahoma$5,918
- West Virginia$5,932
- Alaska$5,948
- Louisiana$6,069
- Alabama$6,134
- Wyoming$6,188
- Maine$6,244
- New York$6,252
- Kansas$6,290
- Maryland$6,351
- Tennessee$6,385
- Kentucky$6,453
- South Dakota$6,456
- Nebraska$6,463
- Texas$6,519
- North Carolina$6,567
- Connecticut$6,569
- Georgia$6,603
- Oregon$6,627
- Ohio$6,669
- Illinois$6,670
- District of Columbia$6,683
- Missouri$6,684
- Michigan$6,702
- South Carolina$6,708
- Massachusetts$6,745
- Idaho$6,843
- California$6,848
- Virginia$6,932
- Iowa$6,952
- Washington$7,019
- North Dakota$7,079
- New Jersey$7,114
- Vermont$7,146
- Pennsylvania$7,166
- Utah$7,211
- Indiana$7,263
- Wisconsin$7,333
- Florida$7,344
- Nevada$7,345
- New Hampshire$7,348
- Rhode Island$7,363
- Arizona$7,369
- Colorado$7,388
- Minnesota$8,247
Percent of Students Receiving Student Loan Aid 2011
- Puerto Rico7%
- Alaska35%
- Mississippi39%
- Hawaii40%
- Oklahoma41%
- Wyoming43%
- West Virginia46%
- New Mexico46%
- Montana46%
- Washington49%
- Arkansas51%
- North Carolina51%
- California52%
- Connecticut52%
- Alabama53%
- Louisiana54%
- North Dakota55%
- New York55%
- Tennessee55%
- Virginia57%
- Utah57%
- Texas58%
- New Jersey58%
- Florida60%
- Illinois60%
- District of Columbia61%
- Delaware61%
- Kentucky61%
- Nebraska61%
- Georgia62%
- Maryland62%
- Michigan62%
- Missouri63%
- Kansas64%
- South Carolina65%
- Massachusetts65%
- Maine65%
- Colorado66%
- Ohio67%
- Idaho67%
- South Dakota68%
- Arizona68%
- Oregon70%
- Nevada70%
- Rhode Island71%
- New Hampshire72%
- Minnesota72%
- Indiana73%
- Vermont74%
- Pennsylvania74%
- Wisconsin74%
- Iowa75%
Four-year Graduation Rate for Bachelor's Degrees 2011
- Puerto Rico6%
- Wyoming11%
- New Mexico14%
- Nevada15%
- Hawaii17%
- Alabama17%
- Montana18%
- Louisiana18%
- Oklahoma19%
- South Dakota20%
- Georgia20%
- Utah21%
- Arkansas21%
- Michigan22%
- Arizona22%
- North Dakota22%
- Texas23%
- West Virginia23%
- Alaska24%
- Idaho25%
- Kentucky25%
- Kansas25%
- Colorado27%
- Florida28%
- Tennessee28%
- Missouri29%
- South Carolina30%
- North Carolina31%
- Ohio31%
- Indiana32%
- Nebraska32%
- Wisconsin32%
- New Jersey33%
- Mississippi33%
- Virginia34%
- New York34%
- California35%
- Minnesota35%
- Oregon35%
- Delaware36%
- Vermont37%
- Illinois37%
- District of Columbia38%
- Maryland39%
- Washington40%
- Maine40%
- New Hampshire40%
- Iowa43%
- Pennsylvania44%
- Connecticut46%
- Massachusetts48%
- Rhode Island58%
Total Graduation Rate 2011
- New Mexico30%
- Alabama35%
- Wyoming39%
- Hawaii41%
- Georgia42%
- South Dakota42%
- North Carolina43%
- Oregon44%
- Alaska45%
- Indiana45%
- Arkansas45%
- Montana46%
- South Carolina46%
- Minnesota46%
- Kentucky46%
- Kansas47%
- North Dakota48%
- Michigan48%
- Mississippi49%
- Maryland49%
- Texas49%
- Virginia50%
- Colorado50%
- Nebraska51%
- Maine51%
- Wisconsin52%
- District of Columbia52%
- Nevada52%
- Vermont52%
- Arizona53%
- Louisiana53%
- Illinois53%
- Delaware53%
- Puerto Rico53%
- West Virginia53%
- Tennessee54%
- New Hampshire54%
- Washington54%
- California55%
- New York55%
- New Jersey55%
- Ohio55%
- Missouri55%
- Florida56%
- Oklahoma56%
- Utah57%
- Idaho58%
- Connecticut58%
- Iowa58%
- Massachusetts60%
- Pennsylvania62%
- Rhode Island67%