 TITLE: Student Loan Debt Reaches Record High as Most Repayment Is Paused CONTENT: Consumers in All States Saw Increased Student Loan Debt in 2020\n---------------------------------------------------------------\nIn line with the increases in student loan debt seen across each generation and credit score range, consumers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia also recorded growth in their average individual balances in 2020, according to Experian data.\nGrowth across the states ranged from a high of 14% in Alaska to a low of 4% in North Dakota. In the majority of states—28—consumers saw their average balances grow by the national average of 9% or more.\nStudent loan borrowers in the District of Columbia had the highest debt burden in 2020, with an average balance of $60,651. They were followed by consumers in Georgia, California, Maryland and Virginia as the top five states with the highest balances. Notably, New York, which in 2019 had one of the top balances in the country, moved out of the top five in 2020.\nNorth Dakota—the state with the least growth—also had the lowest consumer student loan balance, of just $30,449.\nSource: Experian END