[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-585186-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-585186-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","californias-graduate-student-loan-borrowing-landscape-insights-on-graduate-federal-student-loan-debt-2018-19-2019-20","California’s Graduate Student Loan Borrowing Landscape - Insights on Graduate Federal Student Loan Debt (2018-19 & 2019-20)","","California’s graduate federal student loan borrowing landscape is analyzed using pooled College Scorecard data from students graduating in 2018-19 and 2019-20. The fact sheet compares average debt by credential level and institution sector nationally and in California, showing similar public master’s/professional averages but higher California debt in private non-profit and for-profit settings. It also highlights how top-enrollment programs vary widely in debt and borrowing rates, then discusses federal budget reconciliation changes effective starting July 1, 2026 that may reshape future borrowing through repayment-plan reform and Graduate PLUS elimination.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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Linwood","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"What data and graduation cohorts are used to compare graduate student loan debt?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"The analysis uses College Scorecard data for a pooled cohort of students who graduated in 2018-19 and 2019-20, with weighted averages of federal student loan debt.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"How does average debt in California compare to national averages for public master’s and professional programs?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Debt averages are described as comparable for public master’s and professional programs, while private non-profit and for-profit programs show higher averages in California than national levels.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"What federal changes starting July 1, 2026 are highlighted as potentially affecting graduate borrowing?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"The budget reconciliation bill is said to overhaul income-driven repayment by replacing existing plans with the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), and to eliminate the Graduate PLUS loan program, reducing annual and lifetime borrowing limits for graduate students.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},585186,1792858370,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & 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debt from a 2018-19 & 2019-20 pooled cohort  \nAs of 2022, federal student loan disbursements for graduate students made up about half of the total. Events like the Great Recession and the introduction of the Graduate PLUS loan program have contributed to increases in graduate degree attainment and borrowing amounts in recent decades. However, some provisions of the new budget reconciliation bill signed into law on July 4 may cause the future graduate student loan borrowing landscape to change permanently. Using available data from the College Scorecard, this fact sheet compares the average graduate student loan debt held by borrowers across degree types and sectors nationally and in California.  \nOverall, national and California debt averages are comparable for public master’s and professional programs, while  \ngraduates from private non-profit and for-profit programs incur higher average debt in California than national levels. California doctoral programs have been excluded from this analysis because data are privacysuppressed for nearly 94% of all programs and nearly 97% of public programs, with private non-profit and forprofit programs significantly overrepresented in the available data.  \nGraduate degree earners at CA institutions hold more debt: Earners of master’s and professional degrees from CA institutions had higher average debt with similar borrowing rates (43% and 66% in CA vs. 44% and 68% nationally, respectively) compared to the national average.  \nAverage Debt by Credential Level  \nProfessional  \nMaster's  \nSource: Calculations by TICAS using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Estimates represent weighted averages of federal student loan debt for a pooled cohort of students who graduated in 2018-19 and 2019- 2020.  \nMaster’s degree earners from CA private non-profits had 23% higher ($12,400 more) average debt than the national average. Average debt for master's degrees at private non-profit institutions in California is nearly $25,000 higher than at public institutions and more than $12,000 higher than the national average for that sector. Average debt at for-profit institutions is higher than at public ones, but $10,000 lower than at private non-profits. However, borrowing rates are highest at for-profit colleges, with more than half of master's degree earners borrowing, compared to less than half at private nonprofit institutions and just over one-third at public institutions.  \nAverage Debt by Sector for Master’s Degree Earners  \nFor-profit  \nPrivate non-profit  \nPublic  \nCalifornia Avg  \nNational Avg  \n$55.8K  \n$43.5K  \n$65.9K  \n$53.5K  \n$41.7K  \n$39.1K  \nSource: Calculations by TICAS using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Estimates represent weighted averages of federal student loan debt for a pooled cohort of students who graduated in 2018-19 and 2019-20.  \nThe top-enrolling CA master’s programs left degree earners with higher average debt than the national average. Average debt for the largest master's degree programs in California vary widely, from $38,400 for Education programs to $86,600 for Registered Nursing programs (vs. $31,900 and $52,200 nationally, respectively). Registered Nursing and Social Work ($80,000 in CA vs. $51,400 nationally) have the highest average borrowing, both substantially more than the national average for those programs.  \nProfessional degree earners from CA private nonprofits had 23% higher ($37,300 more) average debt  \nAverage Debt by Sector for Professional Degree Earners  \nPrivate nonprofit  \nPublic  \nSource: Calculations by TICAS using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Estimates represent weighted averages of federal student loan debt for a pooled cohort of students who graduated in 2018-19 and 2019-2020. Note: Data on for-profit Professional degree debt in California was limited to o","cbCaiaDK0iOb531x","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiaDK0iOb531x","pdf",156606,"English","# Overview\n## National vs. California debt patterns\n# Average debt by credential level\n## Master’s programs\n## Professional programs\n# Average debt by sector\n## For-profit, private non-profit, and public\n# Program-level differences in California\n# Policy implications and upcoming federal changes","[{\"question\":\"What data and graduation cohorts are used to compare graduate student loan debt?\",\"answer\":\"The analysis uses College Scorecard data for a pooled cohort of students who graduated in 2018-19 and 2019-20, with weighted averages of federal student loan debt.\"},{\"question\":\"How does average debt in California compare to national averages for public master’s and professional programs?\",\"answer\":\"Debt averages are described as comparable for public master’s and professional programs, while private non-profit and for-profit programs show higher averages in California than national levels.\"},{\"question\":\"What federal changes starting July 1, 2026 are highlighted as potentially affecting graduate borrowing?\",\"answer\":\"The budget reconciliation bill is said to overhaul income-driven repayment by replacing existing plans with the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), and to eliminate the Graduate PLUS loan program, reducing annual and lifetime borrowing limits for graduate students.\"}]","California’s Graduate Student Loan Borrowing Landscape - Insights on Graduate Federal Student Loan Debt (2018-19 & 2019-20) | PDF",1792053986]