These 25 Michigan Cities Are Drowning in Student Loan Debt

Once high school is over, young adults have a choice: either enter the workforce (or continue working in it, in some cases), or continue their education at a college, university, or trade school of some sort. Michigan has more than 90 accredited colleges and universities, and trade schools are scattered all over the state.

Many will rely on their parents to pay for all or at least part of the costs associated with their chosen path, and grants and scholarships will come into play for some students as well. A significant number of young people going to a university or trade school will opt for student loans to help finance their education - a decision that could saddle them with debt for countless years to come.

READ MORE: 25 Michigan Cities With the Worst Money Management Skills

According to educationdata.org, "20% of all American adults with undergraduate degrees have outstanding student debt". People in the United States owe more on their student loans than they do their cars - and that's saying something.

How Bad Is Student Loan Debt in Michigan?

The personal finance website WalletHub recently revealed the "Cities with the Most & Least Student Debt" for 2025.

They relied on student loan balance data from TransUnion to rank more than 2,500 cities and towns across America, including 83 communities in Michigan.

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The results might surprise you. The top 25 Michigan cities with the greatest student loan debt are a mix of affluent and struggling communities; most (but not all) of them smaller suburbs of the state's biggest cities. The Upper Peninsula is represented, as are some of Michigan's biggest college towns.

Find out below if your city ranks among the 25 Michigan cities with the highest student debt.