According to the U.S. Department of Education’s most recent ranking, Kentucky is 49^th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for defaulted student loan debt.

16 percent of student loan borrowers in Kentucky are in default compared to a national average of 11 percent. Massachusetts had the lowest rate at just over 6 percent and New Mexico was the worst at 19 percent.

What’s worse: less than a quarter of adults in Kentucky and Indiana have bachelor’s degrees. A significant portion of defaulted student debt comes from for-profit and community colleges, which often offer associate’s degrees. For those schools in Kentucky, that default rate is between 21 and 30 percent, which is 7.7 percent higher than similar institutions in other states.

To read the full story by the Courier-Journal, click here.