The Graduate Student Loan Borrowing Landscape

Abstract

Graduate borrowing makes up a growing share of today's student loans, with about half of all student loan debt borrowed for graduate programs. Average graduate borrowing has grown by about 7 percent for master's degrees and 11 percent for professional degrees over the last 5 years. Borrowing varies widely by field of study and institution type, and understanding debt trends for graduate study is key to ensuring that students can access high-quality graduate programs and see a fair return on their investment. This brief is the first in a series on graduate student loan borrowing and is designed to help inform policymakers in developing equitable, multi-faceted solutions to alleviate the burden of student loan debt. Data from the College Scorecard is presented as weighted average federal student loan debt over time, by sector and level, and for the highest and lowest debt fields.