Top 250 Private Colleges that Give Students the Least Private Student Debt

Paying for college is not easy. For a majority of students the only way to do so, is taking out a federal or private student loan. With the cost of college continuing to rise, so has student debt.

Here at the Student Loan Report, we release financially centered reports to help our readers with their current and future financial decisions.

This report looks into the least private student debt offered by private colleges. Using Peterson's Financial Aid Data set-2015, we calculated a list of the top 250 private colleges in relation to private student debt. Private student debt refers to loans taken out through private lenders.

The average debt per graduate was calculated by multiplying the percentage of students with private debt by the average private debt per borrower. This value was then sorted from lowest to highest to give us the overall rank for each school.

Top 250 Private Colleges that Give Students the Least Private Student Debt

Rank	School	Students with Private Debt	Average Private Debt per Borrower	Average Debt per Graduate
1	Kuyper College	8	442.00	35.36
2	Blue Mountain College	2	2,000.00	40.00
3	Hope International University	1	5,500.00	55.00
4	Emmanuel College	1	6,640.00	66.40
5	University of Mount Olive	7	1,000.00	70.00
6	Gallaudet University	1	7,701.00	77.01
7	Lancaster Bible College	6	1,405.00	84.30
8	Piedmont College	1	9,201.00	92.01
9	Pomona College	1	9,500.00	95.00
10	Thomas Aquinas College	1	10,250.00	102.50
11	Bethune-Cookman University	1	10,260.00	102.60
12	Upper Iowa University	1	12,456.00	124.56
13	Saint Augustine's University	1	12,500.00	125.00
14	Huston-Tillotson University	2	6,506.00	130.12
15	VanderCook College of Music	1	16,300.00	163.00
16	Columbia College	2	8,500.00	170.00
17	Grinnell College	1	17,496.00	174.96
18	Princeton University	1	18,909.00	189.09
19	Alderson Broaddus University	1	19,614.00	196.14
20	University of the Incarnate Word	1	23,336.00	233.36
21	Cornell College	1	26,595.00	265.95
22	Lyon College	3	9,000.00	270.00
23	Trinity College of Florida	8	3,449.00	275.92
24	William Peace University	1	30,780.00	307.80
25	Mercy College of Ohio	7	4,645.00	325.15
26	McMurry University	14	2,380.00	333.20
27	College of the Ozarks	7	5,339.00	373.73
28	Bentley University	1	37,660.00	376.60
29	The Master's College and Seminary	5	7,562.00	378.10
30	Tennessee Wesleyan College	4	9,458.00	378.32
31	King University	5	7,654.00	382.70
32	Christian Brothers University	1	38,700.00	387.00
33	Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art	2	21,278.00	425.56
34	Wesleyan University	1	45,202.00	452.02
35	Brown University	1	46,646.00	466.46
36	Walla Walla University	12	3,929.00	471.48
37	Bryn Mawr College	2	24,548.00	490.96
38	John Brown University	4	12,303.00	492.12
39	Hartwick College	2	25,058.00	501.16
40	Brigham Young University	8	6,929.00	554.32
41	Maranatha Baptist University	9	6,367.00	573.03
42	Warner Pacific College	8	7,209.00	576.72
43	Scripps College	1	58,703.00	587.03
44	Oklahoma Baptist University	4	14,980.00	599.20
45	Washington and Lee University	2	30,111.00	602.22
46	Shenandoah University	4	15,091.00	603.64
47	The Baptist College of Florida	5	12,775.00	638.75
48	Southern Wesleyan University	13	5,427.00	705.51
49	Samford University	4	17,699.00	707.96
50	Wesleyan College	6	11,800.00	708.00
51	Culver-Stockton College	18	3,952.00	711.36
52	Mount Mary University	7	10,306.00	721.42
53	Middlebury College	2	37,154.00	743.08
54	Warren Wilson College	5	15,238.00	761.90
55	Bluefield College	9	8,533.00	767.97
56	Trinity University	3	26,103.00	783.09
57	Hanover College	6	13,236.00	794.16
58	Our Lady of the Lake University of San Antonio	6	13,246.00	794.76
59	Wellesley College	2	40,370.00	807.40
60	University of the Cumberlands	6	13,678.00	820.68
61	Occidental College	3	27,635.00	829.05
62	Martin Luther College	6	13,837.00	830.22
63	Campbellsville University	3	28,140.00	844.20
64	Naropa University	17	5,167.00	878.39
65	California Institute of the Arts	2	44,289.00	885.78
66	Amherst College	3	29,528.00	885.84
67	Hamilton College	3	30,861.00	925.83
68	University of Mary Hardin-Baylor	7	13,269.00	928.83
69	University of Saint Joseph	13	7,219.00	938.47
70	Macalester College	4	23,484.00	939.36
71	Newberry College	8	11,894.00	951.52
72	Carleton College	3	32,164.00	964.92
73	Hood College	7	14,015.00	981.05
74	Lindenwood University	7	14,039.00	982.73
75	St. Edward's University	5	20,193.00	1,009.65
76	Washington University in St. Louis	2	50,629.00	1,012.58
77	Harvard University	2	51,009.00	1,020.18
78	Bowdoin College	4	25,641.00	1,025.64
79	Stanford University	3	35,277.00	1,058.31
80	Lubbock Christian University	6	18,299.00	1,097.94
81	Wingate University	5	21,998.00	1,099.90
82	Birmingham-Southern College	5	22,478.00	1,123.90
83	Oglethorpe University	7	16,076.00	1,125.32
84	Thomas More College of Liberal Arts	7	16,100.00	1,127.00
85	Williams College	3	37,660.00	1,129.80
86	Harvey Mudd College	3	38,448.00	1,153.44
87	New England Conservatory of Music	2	60,700.00	1,214.00
88	Mississippi College	7	17,437.00	1,220.59
89	University of Great Falls	11	11,215.00	1,233.65
90	Vassar College	4	31,047.00	1,241.88
91	Smith College	3	41,768.00	1,253.04
92	O'More College of Design	8	15,675.00	1,254.00
93	Covenant College	7	17,933.00	1,255.31
94	Claremont McKenna College	2	63,468.00	1,269.36
95	University of San Diego	4	32,877.00	1,315.08
96	Hilbert College	12	11,002.00	1,320.24
97	Presbyterian College	8	16,633.00	1,330.64
98	Vanderbilt University	4	33,416.00	1,336.64
99	Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering	3	44,621.00	1,338.63
100	Ave Maria University	8	16,809.00	1,344.72
101	Toccoa Falls College	17	8,038.00	1,366.46
102	Regent University	3	46,093.00	1,382.79
103	Texas Christian University	4	35,415.00	1,416.60
104	Sarah Lawrence College	8	17,735.00	1,418.80
105	Pitzer College	2	70,973.00	1,419.46
106	Rocky Mountain College	8	17,822.00	1,425.76
107	St. Mary's University	7	20,484.00	1,433.88
108	Centenary College of Louisiana	4	36,151.00	1,446.04
109	Hampshire College	5	29,274.00	1,463.70
110	Iowa Wesleyan University	22	6,684.00	1,470.48
111	Davidson College	5	29,488.00	1,474.40
112	Marymount California University	8	18,476.00	1,478.08
113	Barnard College	4	36,997.00	1,479.88
114	Life University	20	7,400.00	1,480.00
115	Buena Vista University	19	7,874.00	1,496.06
116	New York School of Interior Design	5	30,000.00	1,500.00
117	Missouri Baptist University	11	13,753.00	1,512.83
118	University of Mobile	8	19,029.00	1,522.32
119	Berry College	8	19,099.00	1,527.92
120	Haverford College	4	38,308.00	1,532.32
121	William Jessup University	5	30,922.00	1,546.10
122	College of the Atlantic	6	26,114.00	1,566.84
123	Xavier University	10	15,703.00	1,570.30
124	Carson-Newman University	7	22,574.00	1,580.18
125	Campbell University	7	22,616.00	1,583.12
126	Trevecca Nazarene University	7	22,628.00	1,583.96
127	Transylvania University	9	17,638.00	1,587.42
128	Reed College	3	53,968.00	1,619.04
129	Sewanee: The University of the South	5	32,443.00	1,622.15
130	Rhodes College	5	32,561.00	1,628.05
131	DePauw University	6	27,272.00	1,636.32
132	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	4	42,231.00	1,689.24
133	The Colorado College	4	42,283.00	1,691.32
134	Graceland University	7	24,269.00	1,698.83
135	University of Pennsylvania	4	42,509.00	1,700.36
136	Colby College	4	42,574.00	1,702.96
137	Virginia Union University	10	17,074.00	1,707.40
138	Duke University	4	42,989.00	1,719.56
139	Ouachita Baptist University	7	24,644.00	1,725.08
140	Dartmouth College	4	43,510.00	1,740.40
141	Georgetown College	10	17,418.00	1,741.80
142	University of Miami	7	24,904.00	1,743.28
143	Belmont Abbey College	6	29,061.00	1,743.66
144	Rice University	5	35,072.00	1,753.60
145	Skidmore College	5	35,516.00	1,775.80
146	Texas Lutheran University	8	22,271.00	1,781.68
147	Mercy College	11	16,309.00	1,793.99
148	Florida Southern College	7	25,688.00	1,798.16
149	Lee University	9	20,254.00	1,822.86
150	Post University	16	11,449.00	1,831.84
151	Tulane University	5	36,655.00	1,832.75
152	Goshen College	12	15,324.00	1,838.88
153	Caldwell University	15	12,414.00	1,862.10
154	Averett University	9	21,051.00	1,894.59
155	School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston	10	19,140.00	1,914.00
156	Illinois Institute of Technology	7	27,392.00	1,917.44
157	Houston Baptist University	9	21,310.00	1,917.90
158	Southwestern University	7	27,453.00	1,921.71
159	Summit University	7	27,573.00	1,930.11
160	California Institute of Technology	3	64,602.00	1,938.06
161	The New School College of Performing Arts	2	97,000.00	1,940.00
162	Catawba College	12	16,245.00	1,949.40
163	Westminster College	10	19,580.00	1,958.00
164	Kalamazoo College	5	39,373.00	1,968.65
165	National University	13	15,225.00	1,979.25
166	Whitman College	4	49,676.00	1,987.04
167	University of Puget Sound	6	33,135.00	1,988.10
168	Quincy University	10	19,881.00	1,988.10
169	Mary Baldwin College	6	33,192.00	1,991.52
170	California College of the Arts	5	39,967.00	1,998.35
171	Mercyhurst University	17	11,803.00	2,006.51
172	East Texas Baptist University	12	16,812.00	2,017.44
173	Mercer University	9	22,480.00	2,023.20
174	Dallas Baptist University	10	20,257.00	2,025.70
175	Emory & Henry College	22	9,214.00	2,027.08
176	Gettysburg College	7	29,064.00	2,034.48
177	University of St. Francis	13	15,977.00	2,077.01
178	Wisconsin Lutheran College	11	18,986.00	2,088.46
179	Lewis & Clark College	7	29,837.00	2,088.59
180	MacMurray College	10	21,064.00	2,106.40
181	University of Southern California	5	42,198.00	2,109.90
182	Rollins College	6	35,363.00	2,121.78
183	Northwestern University	5	43,239.00	2,161.95
184	Rockhurst University	9	24,340.00	2,190.60
185	Northland College	11	19,958.00	2,195.38
186	William Jewell College	13	16,926.00	2,200.38
187	Ohio Valley University	7	32,000.00	2,240.00
188	Chaminade University of Honolulu	9	24,984.00	2,248.56
189	Southern Adventist University	10	22,605.00	2,260.50
190	Central College	25	9,207.00	2,301.75
191	Taylor University	7	32,941.00	2,305.87
192	Emory University	6	38,733.00	2,323.98
193	Milligan College	7	33,347.00	2,334.29
194	Oklahoma City University	9	25,959.00	2,336.31
195	Seattle Pacific University	8	29,232.00	2,338.56
196	Morningside College	27	8,706.00	2,350.62
197	Wheaton College	17	13,883.00	2,360.11
198	Bates College	6	39,351.00	2,361.06
199	Albright College	17	13,924.00	2,367.08
200	Regis University	6	39,538.00	2,372.28
201	University of Detroit Mercy	12	19,798.00	2,375.76
202	Mount Holyoke College	7	34,204.00	2,394.28
203	Wabash College	10	23,963.00	2,396.30
204	Saint Leo University	11	21,948.00	2,414.28
205	Colgate University	5	48,520.00	2,426.00
206	Carroll College	8	30,960.00	2,476.80
207	Aurora University	9	27,775.00	2,499.75
208	Centre College	5	50,328.00	2,516.40
209	Southern Methodist University	7	35,951.00	2,516.57
210	Brandeis University	7	36,197.00	2,533.79
211	University of Richmond	7	36,495.00	2,554.65
212	Mount Vernon Nazarene University	10	25,589.00	2,558.90
213	Agnes Scott College	12	21,348.00	2,561.76
214	Brenau University	10	25,937.00	2,593.70
215	Lynn University	3	86,595.00	2,597.85
216	Seattle University	7	37,220.00	2,605.40
217	Hendrix College	9	29,480.00	2,653.20
218	Lawrence University	9	29,712.00	2,674.08
219	Earlham College	10	26,899.00	2,689.90
220	Thomas College	32	8,434.00	2,698.88
221	Benedictine University	10	27,205.00	2,720.50
222	Doane University	12	22,777.00	2,733.24
223	Elmhurst College	11	24,969.00	2,746.59
224	Georgetown University	6	46,238.00	2,774.28
225	The College of Wooster	9	31,056.00	2,795.04
226	McKendree University	12	23,312.00	2,797.44
227	Whittier College	13	21,600.00	2,808.00
228	Queens University of Charlotte	12	23,462.00	2,815.44
229	University of La Verne	10	28,229.00	2,822.90
230	The Juilliard School	10	28,233.00	2,823.30
231	Kenyon College	4	70,832.00	2,833.28
232	Case Western Reserve University	9	31,652.00	2,848.68
233	Union College	11	26,019.00	2,862.09
234	Palm Beach Atlantic University	12	23,897.00	2,867.64
235	Denison University	7	41,125.00	2,878.75
236	Bard College	6	48,002.00	2,880.12
237	Liberty University	13	22,168.00	2,881.84
238	Belmont University	8	36,036.00	2,882.88
239	St. Olaf College	9	32,437.00	2,919.33
240	Central Methodist University	17	17,178.00	2,920.26
241	Corban University	15	19,628.00	2,944.20
242	Franklin & Marshall College	7	42,093.00	2,946.51
243	Linfield College	11	26,832.00	2,951.52
244	Mount Saint Mary's University	9	32,857.00	2,957.13
245	Benedictine College	13	22,777.00	2,961.01
246	Everglades University - Boca Raton	22	13,470.00	2,963.40
247	Loyola Marymount University	6	49,619.00	2,977.14
248	University of Denver	7	42,814.00	2,996.98
249	Waynesburg University	20	15,000.00	3,000.00
250	Prescott College	8	37,743.00	3,019.44
Rank	School	Students with Private Debt	Average Private Debt per Borrower	Average Debt per Graduate