Successfully completing college is still one of the best ways for Americans to land a well-paying job, according to The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS). However, college has become increasingly expensive for many Americans, and average student debt levels have soared in the last decade.

The debt burden students face depends on a number of factors, including their financial situation and where they go to school. In all but one state, the average graduate owed more than $20,000 in 2013, and in six states, the average student debt was more than $30,000. Based on data published by TICAS, these are the 10 states with the worst student debt levels among the graduating Class of 2013.

Click here to see the states with the highest levels of student debt

Although a college degree can certainly help Americans secure a good job, the debt burden can contribute to financial distress for many households. According to a recent study from researchers at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, “households with education-related debt were more likely to have been late paying bills, be denied credit, and have high payment-to-income ratios in 2009.”

Beyond just growing debt levels, students are more likely to borrow than in the past. According to Lauren Asher, president of TICAS, rising costs are one reason for the problem. “College costs have been rising faster than family incomes and available grant aid, so more people are having to borrow to get through school.” Last year, five of the states with the most student debt were also among the 10 states with the highest percentages of recent graduates who owed money on student loans. In New Hampshire, the state with the highest average student loan burden, 76% of the Class of 2013 had such debt, the highest rate in the nation.

The states with the highest debt levels were disproportionately located in the Northeast, where higher cost non-profit private schools are more prevalent than in other parts of the U.S. However, this s is not the only reason for the higher debt levels. According to Asher, “state budgets are the biggest driver of tuition costs.” Cuts to state higher education funding can shift more of the cost of education onto students and their families in the form of tuition and fees.

The true level of student debt is likely much higher than TICAS’ estimates suggest, Asher explained. “These are very conservative estimates,” she added. Private loans, for example, are not included in the survey, nor are the debts of transfer students or debts of students who did not graduate. According to TICAS’ report, data published by the Department of Education every four years, “consistently shows higher student debt than national estimates derived from data that some colleges voluntarily report,” which TICAS uses to calculate 2013 state estimates.

Using data from the report, “Student Debt and the Class of 2013” published by The Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS), 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 states where students graduated with the most debt. Average debt figures are based on the average student loan debt among borrowing graduates from the Class of 2013. TICAS also provided data on the proportion of students with student debt. We also reviewed TICAS’ figures on average debt burden and percent of graduates with debt for 2012 and 2004. Data on educational attainment and median annual earnings are from the U.S. Census Bureau. Unemployment rate figures are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and are for 2013.

These are the states with the most student debt.

10. South Carolina
> Class of 2013 average debt: $29,092
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 59% (18th lowest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $41,840 (8th lowest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 73% (7th highest)

Recent college graduates in South Carolina owed an average of $29,092 in student debt, the 10th highest figure nationwide. Like the rest of the country, state residents with bachelor’s degrees earned considerably more than their less-educated peers. A typical South Carolina adult with a bachelor’s degree earned just $41,840, however, one of the lowest median earnings among Americans with a bachelor’s degree as their highest level of educational attainment. Average debt levels for South Carolina’s Class of 2013 are 73% higher than they were in 2004, a larger increase than all but a handful of states. And while the growth of student debt burdens are slowing or decreasing in several other states, South Carolina’s debt levels are still on the rise. Average student debt amounts grew more than 6% between 2012 and 2013, one of the higher figures nationwide.

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9. Iowa
> Class of 2013 average debt: $29,370
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 69% (tied-9th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $45,880 (25th lowest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 21% (2nd lowest)

Nearly 70% of college graduates had student debt in Iowa last year, one of the higher percentages in the country. The debt burden for Iowa students is among the nation’s highest, but it has slowed in recent years. Average debt among state students in 2004 was a nation-leading $24,204. Debt burdens in most states grew far faster than in Iowa, where the average student debt rose just 21% between 2004 and last year, nearly the slowest growth nationwide. Between 2012 and 2013, average debt burdens among newly graduated Iowans actually decreased slightly. For graduates choosing to remain in the state, Iowa’s job market is relatively accessible. The state had an unemployment rate of 4.6% last year, one of the lowest rates nationwide, and much lower than the national rate of 7.4%.

8. Michigan
> Class of 2013 average debt: $29,583
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 63% (19th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $47,043 (20th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 58% (22nd highest)

Like most states on this list, more of Michigan’s students are graduating with higher debt burdens than ever before. Sixty-three percent of the Class of 2013 had student debt, with an average of over $29,500 in borrowings, both among the higher figures nationwide. Adrian College and Lawrence Technological University, both located in Michigan, were identified as high-debt schools. While Michigan graduates are far more likely to both find a job and earn higher incomes than their less-educated peers, the state’s job market is not particularly strong. Nearly 9% of the state’s workforce was unemployed last year, a higher percentage than all but four other states. Residents of a majority of states with the highest student debt burden also had relatively high incomes. The median earnings for workers in Michigan, however, were $32,886 in 2013, versus the national figure of $35,597.

7. Maine
> Class of 2013 average debt: $29,934
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 64% (tied-16th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $40,854 (5th lowest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 54% (24th highest)

The University of Maine was identified by TICAS as one of 20 American public universities with exceptionally high debt levels, which likely contributed to the state’s high student debt burdens. While most American adults with bachelor’s degrees earned more than $50,000 in 2013, similarly educated Maine residents had a median income of just $40,854, one of the lowest such figures nationwide. Low incomes, even among graduates, and an average debt level of $29,583 among the Class of 2013 likely exacerbated financial stress in the state. Eighteen percent of households, for example, relied on food stamps last year, nearly the highest rate in the country.

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6. Connecticut
> Class of 2013 average debt: $30,191
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 64% (tied-16th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $57,413 (3rd highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 60% (19th highest)

The average student debt level for Connecticut graduates rose 8.5% between 2012 and 2013, one of the largest increases in the U.S. As a result, average student debt in the state rose from $27,816, the 17th highest in the nation in 2012, to over $30,000 last year. Overall, the population of Connecticut is well educated, as more than 37% of residents 25 and older had at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than in all but three other states. Highly educated residents are also paid well, which may incentivize more people in the state to go to college. The median earnings for a worker in Connecticut with a college degree was $57,413, the third highest amount in the U.S. Residents with a graduate or professional degree had median earnings of $75,743, the fifth highest in the nation.

5. Minnesota
> Class of 2013 average debt: $30,894
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 70% (4th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $50,975 (12th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 58% (21st highest)

Average student debt levels fell nearly 2% between 2012 and last year in Minnesota, making it one of only a handful of states in which the growth of average student debt didn’t just slow but actually declined. Minnesota was also one of only six states in which the average student debt among the Class of 2013 exceeded $30,000. Residents are relatively well off, however, and state graduates may be better able to make monthly debt payments than those in many other states. A typical Minnesota worker earned $39,167 last year, one of the higher median earnings nationwide.

4. Rhode Island
> Class of 2013 average debt: $31,561
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 69% (tied-9th highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $52,002 (9th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 63% (14th highest)

Rhode Island had an unemployment rate of 9.5% last year, higher than every state except for Nevada. While jobs are likely difficult to come by even for college graduates, state residents tend to be much wealthier compared to those in other states. A typical adult with a bachelor’s degree earned more than $52,000 in 2013, the 9th highest figure in the country. Rhode Island residents were also more likely than most Americans to pursue higher education. Last year, 32.4% of adults had at least a bachelor’s degree, one of the higher rates nationwide.

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3. Pennsylvania
> Class of 2013 average debt: $32,528
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 71% (3rd highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $49,318 (15th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 66% (13th highest)

Last year the average Pennsylvania graduate had more than $32,500 in student loans. In all, 71% of state college graduates that year had debt to pay off, the third highest share of any state. One factor potentially contributing to the high levels of debt facing Pennsylvania graduates in recent years is the poor state funding for higher education. According to the Keystone Research Center, a Pennsylvania policy research group, the state has enacted deep cuts to public higher education in recent years. The group adds that “Pennsylvania ranks 47th among states in funding for public higher education per $1,000 of personal income and 48th in funding per capita,” while also having some of the highest public university tuition and fees of any state. Eight of the 20 public schools deemed high-debt colleges and universities by TICAS are located in Pennsylvania.

2. Delaware
> Class of 2013 average debt: $32,571
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 62% (21st highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $47,136 (19th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 120% (the highest)

Average student debt in Delaware fell 3.2% between 2012 and 2013, one of the largest declines in the nation. Between 2004 and last year, however, the average student debt burden grew from $14,780 to $32,571, an alarming 120% and by far the largest increase in the country. Before last year’s decline, Delaware graduates had the highest average debt burden in the nation. A graduate in the Class of 2012 with debt owed an average of over $33,600. The dramatic rise in student debt levels in the state do not appear to have led to more lucrative job opportunities. Delaware adults with bachelor’s degrees earned $47,136 last year, less than their peers in the rest of the nation.

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1. New Hampshire
> Class of 2013 average debt: $32,795
> Class of 2013 pct. with debt: 76% (the highest)
> Median earnings with bachelor’s degree: $49,845 (14th highest)
> Change in avg. debt, 2004-2013: 53% (22nd lowest)

More than three-quarters of New Hampshire students graduated with debt last year, more than in any other state. And no state had larger student debt burdens than New Hampshire, where the average debt level for a member of the Class of 2013 was $32,795. New Hampshire is home to several colleges and universities notable for high average debt levels. Saint Anselm University and the University of New Hampshire, for example, were both named as “high debt” schools by TICAS. Even with such high debt levels, graduates who remain in the state have the benefit of a relatively strong economy. Nearly 35% of New Hampshire adults had at least a bachelor’s degree last year, more than all but a handful of states. The state also had the nation’s lowest poverty rate, at just 8.7% in 2013. Also, just 5.3% of the workforce was unemployed last year, versus the national unemployment rate of 7.4%.

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