While the proportion of students graduating with student loan debt has fallen slightly (from 52.7 percent in 2000-01 to 49.8 percent in 2010-11), the average inflation-adjusted debt at graduation of student borrowers has increased 10.4 percent (from $17,007 to $18,779).

Roughly one-half of UC undergraduates graduate with no debt at all. For those who do borrow, the average student loan debt at graduation in 2010-11 was about $19,000. The monthly repayment for this amount is about $208 for 10 years at the 6 percent average interest rate that typically applies to student loans. Lower payments are available with longer repayment periods.

Student borrowing decreased from 1999-00 through 2008-09 for students in nearly every income category. More recently, borrowing has increased slightly among middle- and upper-income students. The recent uptick in borrowing may reflect a combination of higher costs and a reduction in other borrowing alternatives (e.g., home equity loans).Source: UC Corporate Student System¹

¹Figures adjusted for inflation in 2010 dollars. Borrowing shown here represents loans coordinated through the campus financial aid offices; some families also borrow from outside sources, which is not captured in this indicator.

You may view or download a table of the raw data used to generate these charts in CSV files, which can be opened in spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.

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