Knowing the typical student loan debt for your major is useful, but it doesn't answer the question that matters: whether your debt is manageable on the salary you are likely to earn. This guide gives sourced debt figures by major, shows what each balance costs per month, and explains why your school and your private loans move the number more than your major does.
According to the College Board's Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid 2025, 47% of 2023–24 bachelor's degree recipients at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges graduated with debt. Among those who borrowed, the average was $29,560. Federal loans averaged $20,460, and the 10% who also took private loans averaged $42,170 in private debt alone.
Here is the typical federal debt at graduation by major for bachelor's degree recipients, with what that balance costs on the standard 10-year plan at the 2026–27 undergraduate rate of 6.52%:
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| Major | Debt | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Graphic comms | $29,383 | $334 |
| Education | $29,134 | $331 |
| Env. engineering | $27,586 | $314 |
| Fine arts | $26,668 | $303 |
| Engineering | $26,529 | $302 |
| Criminal justice | $25,527 | $290 |
| Business admin | $25,336 | $288 |
| Biology | $24,708 | $281 |
| Marketing | $24,647 | $280 |
| Psychology | $24,234 | $275 |
| Communication | $23,743 | $270 |
| Social sciences | $23,708 | $269 |
| Nursing (RN) | $23,506 | $267 |
| Computer science | $23,184 | $263 |
| Animal sciences | $22,514 | $256 |
Debt figures are medians for new bachelor's graduates compiled by the Education Data Initiative from College Scorecard data, which counts federal loans only. Private loans and Parent PLUS loans are not included, so your real total can be higher. Monthly payments are our calculation for the standard 10-year plan.
The surprise in the data: typical debt barely changes by major. Most common majors land between about $22,500 and $29,500, a gap of roughly $80 a month. What changes a lot by major is salary, which is why the same balance can be easy for one graduate and a strain for another.
Three things push a real balance far from the medians above:
A common benchmark is to keep total student debt at or below your expected first-year salary, and to keep the monthly payment under about 10% of your gross income. For the median balances above, a payment of $256 to $334 a month stays under 10% of income at a salary of roughly $31,000 to $40,000. Most majors clear that. The risk comes from balances well above the medians, usually because of private loans or an expensive school.
Salaries differ more than debt does. NACE's Winter 2026 Salary Survey projects average starting salaries of $81,535 for computer science graduates and $66,155 for social sciences graduates, for example. See average starting salary by major for more fields, then put your own numbers into the student loan vs. salary calculator.
Students headed for medicine, law, dentistry or pharmacy carry undergraduate debt into a professional program that often costs far more. The undergraduate figures above are only the first layer. Since July 1, 2026, new professional students can borrow up to $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total in federal unsubsidized loans, and Grad PLUS is closed to new borrowers, so funding gaps beyond that come from private loans, scholarships or savings. The student loan limit calculator shows how much federal room you have left.
Check whether your debt load is proportionate to your expected salary.
Check My Debt-to-Salary Ratio →What is the average student loan debt for a bachelor's degree? Among 2023–24 bachelor's degree recipients at public and private nonprofit four-year colleges who borrowed, the average was $29,560, according to the College Board. About 47% of graduates had any debt. Federal loans averaged $20,460.
Which majors have the most student loan debt? In College Scorecard-based data compiled by the Education Data Initiative, most common bachelor's majors fall between about $22,500 and $29,500 in median federal debt. Graphic communications ($29,383) and education ($29,134) are near the top of that range, and computer science ($23,184) and animal sciences ($22,514) are near the bottom.
What is considered normal student loan debt? A balance near the medians above, roughly $22,500 to $29,500 in federal loans, is typical for a bachelor's degree. A more useful test is whether your total debt is at or below your expected first-year salary and your monthly payment stays under about 10% of gross income.
Do these figures include private loans? No. College Scorecard counts federal loans only. Graduates who also took private loans averaged $42,170 in private debt in 2023–24, so your total can be much higher than the median for your major.
Does graduate school debt get added to undergraduate debt? Yes. Undergraduate and graduate loans are separate debts that you repay together. Since July 1, 2026, new graduate students can borrow up to $100,000 and new professional students up to $200,000 in federal unsubsidized loans, and Grad PLUS is closed to new borrowers.
Can I reduce debt after I've already borrowed? For federal loans, income-driven repayment can lower monthly payments and PSLF can forgive the balance for qualifying public service work. Private loans can sometimes be refinanced at a lower rate. Extra payments early on reduce principal the fastest.
Student Loan vs Salary Calculator — check your exact debt-to-income ratio.
Student Loan Calculator — monthly payment and total interest for your loan.
How Much Student Loan Debt Is Too Much? — the 1x rule explained in full.
Average Starting Salary by Major (2026) — what your field pays after graduation.
Student Loan Repayment Plans (2026) — your options if debt is already high.