Because loans are the primary means of paying for education in the U.S., the Project on Student Debt has set out to increase public understanding of student loans.

While the average student debt load in America is $24,000, in some states this amount in much higher. Below is the list of the ten states with the highest student debt. These figures were calculated from voluntarily reported data, submitted from nearly 1,000 public and private non-profit colleges. For-profit and two-year schools are not factored into the data. The highest average student dept is based on data from 2009 graduates.

1. Washington, D.C.
Average debt: $30,033
School with the highest average student debt: Corcoran College of Art and Design

2. New Hampshire
Average debt: $29,443
School with the highest average student debt: Saint Anselm College

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These days, it’s common for college graduates to enter the workforce while burdened with overwhelming amounts of debt. And it’s probably no surprise to anyone that the total amount of debt for the average graduate is rising.

Here’s a great resource for students and anyone else who’s concerned about student loans: The Project on Student Debt, a watchdog organization. In a recent study, here’s what the Project on Student Debt found out about student loan debt in America:

• Between 2006 and 2007, the average total loan debt of graduates rose from $18,976 to $20,098, which is an increase of six percent. Yep, that’s right, the average student now graduates with over $20,000 in loan debt! Read the rest of this entry »