A survey by the Project on Student Debt shows that South Dakota leads the nation in the percentage of students leaving college with loan debt.
The California organization says 81 percent of South Dakota's college graduates last year were in debt, compared to 59 percent nationwide.
The average debt for South Dakotans was about $22,000.
The high percentage of indebted students is no surprise to officials at South Dakota universities.
For one thing, they say per capita income is lower in South Dakota, so people have less discretionary income for things such as college.
And unlike neighboring states with college grant programs based on financial need, South Dakota has none.
