Pew 2025 Survey of Student Loan Borrowers
Survey
Jun. 2025
Sample Size:
1,533
Demographics:
undergraduate students
Topics:
Affordability
Funding
Top Findings:
- Half of student loan borrowers (51%) said they did not feel financially secure, according to new data from The Pew Charitable Trusts.
- An overwhelming majority (74%) of borrowers said they had experienced at least one negative financial event in the last 12 months—such as not being able to pay the full amount due on their mortgages or rents on time, overdrawing their checking accounts, or applying for public assistance programs.
- A significant share of borrowers reported experiencing some degree of volatility in their incomes (56%) and expenses (75%), two factors that have been associated with repayment difficulties, including higher rates of default.
- Three-quarters (75%) reported some degree of change in expenses, with 25% of borrowers saying their expenses had varied a lot month-to-month over the last 12 months.
- Among all borrowers in the sample, 23% indicated they were either not making payments or were making partial or irregular payments.