Tuesday, November 01, 2016

On average, students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington graduate with lower debt than their peers at other institutions, a study of 1,200 colleges and universities has found. The university ranked 55th among public institutions with the lowest debt load and 124th on a combined list of public and private institutions.

Within North Carolina, the university ranked 5th in minimizing student debt.

“Delivering an affordable, high-quality education is among UNCW’s most important strategic priorities,” said Chancellor Jose Sartarelli. “We are honored to be recognized for our efforts to help students minimize the need to borrow large sums of money for their education.”

The website Student Loan Report ranked colleges and universities according to the average debt load per 2015 graduate. UNCW students left with an average debt of $10,231, and 39 percent graduated with some debt.

Nationally, the average per-graduate debt was $16,929. Among public institutions, the average debt was $15,591, while private schools averaged $19,394 per student.

North Carolina ranked 13th overall when compared with other states and the District of Columbia. The average debt for a student graduating from a North Carolina college or university was $14,057.

-- Tricia Vance

#RANKINGS