Student loans offer a way for many to pay for higher education, but after leaving school, the debt burden can drain your finances. Even armed with a bachelor’s degree, new grads may need to earn extra money to pay down their loans.
Not surprisingly, residents of some cities incur more or less debt than others. Where are those places? Using data from TransUnion, a FinanceBuzz study found that residents of these 15 cities had lower student loan debt balances.
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15. Tucson, Arizona
![tucson arizona city skyline](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/01/11/tucson_arizona_city_skyline.jpg)
In the home of the University of Arizona, Tucson residents have a median student loan debt balance of $17,787. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 31.7% of Tucson residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
14. Sacramento, California
![Sacramento Walks, California shots](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/08/15/sacramento_walks_california_shots.jpg)
In the capital city of California, residents carry a median student loan debt balance of $17,625. Around 36% of Sacramento residents have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher.
13. San Jose, California
![downtown san jose in california](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/03/21/downtown-san-jose-in-california.jpg)
Close to 50% of San Jose residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Even though 47.6% of residents have completed some level of higher education, the median student loan balance for the area is $17,500.
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12. El Paso, Texas
![el paso texas usa](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/11/26/el_paso_texas_usa.jpg)
Approximately a quarter of El Paso residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance in El Paso, Texas, is $17,407.
11. Chula Vista, California
![sunny day in Chula Vista, California, USA](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/08/15/sunny_day_in_chula_vista_california_usa.jpg)
Located south of San Diego, 31.2% of Chula Vista residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. On average, residents of this southern California city owe $16,569 in student loan debt.
10. Garland, Texas
![autumn foliage reflections](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/04/autumn-foliage-reflections-adobe.jpg)
Around a quarter of residents in this suburb of Dallas hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance in Garland, Texas, is $16,450.
9. Anaheim, California
![neighborhood in Anaheim Orange County California](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/24/neighborhood-in-anaheim-orange-county-california.jpeg)
Anaheim’s most famous resident might be Mickey Mouse at his home in Disneyland. But 28.3% of residents in this magical city hold at least a bachelor’s degree. On average, Anaheim residents owe $16,441 in student loan debt.
8. Las Vegas, Nevada
![Las Vegas Nevada Skyline during day](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/04/23/las-vegas-nevada-skyline-during-day.jpeg)
Residents of Las Vegas carry an average of $15,939 in student loan debt. But residents of North Las Vegas, which is billed as a separate area, hold a slightly lower average of $15,320 in student loans. In both parts of town, around one-quarter of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
7. Stockton, California
![downtown city center of Stockton](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/09/15/daytime_view_of_the_downtown_city_center_of_stockton_california_usa.jpg)
Fewer than 20% of Stockton residents have earned a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the median student loan debt balance for Stockton residents is $15,210.
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6. Fresno, California
![Fresno, California](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/06/27/fresno_california.jpg)
Fresno residents carry an average of $15,026 in student loan debt. In the area, 24.2% of Fresno residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
5. Irvine, California
![orange country from a trail](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/01/12/orange_county_from_a_trail.jpg)
A city outside of Los Angeles, 70% of Irvine residents boast a bachelor's degree or higher. Even with this relatively high percentage of degree holders, Irvine residents owe one of the lowest average student loan balances. The median student loan debt for Irvine residents is $14,817.
4. Santa Ana, California
![daytime skyline view of downtown Santa Ana](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/08/08/daytime_skyline_view_of_downtown_santa_ana.jpg)
Santa Ana borders Irvine. Residents in Santa Ana carry an average of $14,817 in student loan debt. Surprisingly, just 17.9% of Santa Ana residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which represents a much lower percentage of residents than its Irvine neighbors.
3. Corpus Christi, Texas
![corpus christi texas](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/03/07/corpus-christi-texas.jpg)
According to the U.S. Census, 23.1% of Corpus Christi residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. The median student loan debt balance for residents in this town is $14,537.
2. Bakersfield, California
![downtown Bakersfield California USA](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2022/11/14/downtown_bakersfield_california_usa.jpg)
Bakersfield residents hold an average of $14,530 in student loan debt, and 23.1% of residents hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
1. Laredo, Texas
![rio grande texas](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/05/02/rio-grande-texas.jpg)
Residents of Laredo boast the lowest average student loan debt balances, with a median of $13,141. Approximately 22% of residents in this border town hold at least a bachelor’s degree.
Bottom line
![Here Are All the Ways to Get Rid of Student Loan Debt](https://cdn.financebuzz.com/filters:quality(75)/images/2020/09/01/get-rid-of-student-loan-debt.jpg)
While the average student loan debt in these cities is below $18,000, the average student loan debt for a bachelor’s degree nationwide is $29,400, according to the College Board.
If you’re struggling to pay your student loans, try to find ways to pay off your debt faster. Pursuing a side gig for a while or sharing living expenses with others may help you meet your debt obligations until you earn more money. And if you haven’t gone on to higher education yet, do your best to limit the amount of student loan money you take.
Only borrow what you absolutely need to earn your degree. Also, consider going to a community college for a couple of years and then transferring credits to a four-year institution. At graduation, you’ll be facing a lower debt burden by keeping your borrowing as low as possible along the way.
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Benefits
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Earn 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases
Annual Fee
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