For the sixth straight year, the University of New Orleans ranks among the universities whose students graduate with the lightest debt loads, according to U.S. News & World Report. UNO is the only Louisiana institution to make the list in the category of national universities.

The list examines the debt load of the class of 2015 and includes loans taken out by students from their colleges, from private financial institutions, and federal, state and local governments. Average amount of debt refers to the cumulative amount borrowed by students who incurred debt. For UNO’s class of 2015, that amount was $19,861, putting it among the top 25 national universities with the lowest average debt load. The national university category refers to institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate programs, plus master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research. Fifty-five percent of UNO’s class of 2015 graduated with debt.

Princeton University topped the list with the smallest percentage of graduates with debt (16 percent) and the lowest average amount of debt ($8,577).

“This is an important designation for us because it helps illustrate the value of a degree from the University of New Orleans,” said President John Nicklow. “We offer high quality programs at a cost that does not burden the average student with excessive levels of debt.”

The information is contained in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 edition of Best Colleges.

                                                % of grads     Avg.

                                                with debt    amount of debt 

Princeton (NJ)                       16%                 $8,577

Texas-Arlington                     84%                $14,743

Yale (CT)                             17%                $15,521

BYU (UT)                             27%               $15,720

Harvard (MA)                       24%                $16,723

North Carolina St.                56%                $17,461

Univ. of California-Berkeley   38%                $17,869

Cal State-Fresno                  50%               $18,385

Florida International             48%               $18,918

Univ. of Miami                     40%                $19,000

Univ. of Utah                       39%               $19,056

Duke (NC)                           35%               $19,104

Dartmouth (NH)                   43%               $19,135

Utah St.                             47%                $19,172

Univ. of California-Davis      56%                 $19,588

Univ. of New Orleans        55%                 $19,861

San Diego St.                     48%                 $20,100

UNC- Chapel Hill                41%                 $20,127

Florida Atlantic                   53%                 $20,458

Univ. of California-Irvine      59%                 $20,628

Cal Tech                            39%                 $20,677

Boston College (MA)           49%                 $20,849

UC-Santa Barbara               56%                 $20,978

Maryland-Eastern Shore       73%                 $21,000

Univ. of Florida                   43%                 $21,028