{"id":11634,"date":"2026-02-06T15:25:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T23:25:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scholarshipowl.com\/blog\/?p=11634"},"modified":"2026-03-27T12:35:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:35:20","slug":"student-loan-debt-2026-survey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scholarshipowl.com\/blog\/gen-z-research\/student-loan-debt-2026-survey\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Loan Debt 2026: Survey Shows 71% of Borrowers Already Regret Their Loans"},"content":{"rendered":"

The start of a new year often brings a sense of renewal, but for millions of American students, there is a familiar, heavy shadow: student loan debt 2026. As tuition costs continue to climb and the economic landscape shifts, the dream of a “debt-free” education feels more like a financial gamble than a guarantee. ScholarshipOwl<\/a> believes that transparency is the first step toward change. That\u2019s why we surveyed over 12,000 students this month\u2014to capture the real-time financial pressures facing the next generation and to illuminate a more sustainable path forward.<\/p>\n

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The 2026 Student Debt Landscape: National Statistics<\/b><\/h2>\n

To understand the weight of our survey results, we must look at the current state of borrowing in America<\/a>. As of early 2026, the student debt crisis<\/a> has reached a critical “default cliff”:<\/p>\n

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Total Borrowers<\/h3>\n

Approximately 45 million Americans currently hold student loan debt, totaling over $1.75 trillion.<\/p>\n

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The Default Crisis<\/h3>\n

Recent data indicates that nearly 9 million borrowers are currently in default (270+ days past due), a sharp increase following the expiration of pandemic-era protections.<\/p>\n

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The “Danger Zone”<\/h3>\n

The number of borrowers struggling to keep their heads above water is staggering. Approximately 5.8 million borrowers are currently 90 days or more past due on their payments\u2014the highest delinquency rate ever recorded.<\/p>\n

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Rising Delinquency<\/h3>\n

Roughly 21% of all borrowers have reported a recent delinquency, returning to and exceeding pre-pandemic levels as economic uncertainty persists.<\/p>\n

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Who Participated in the Survey?<\/h2>\n

In January 2026, ScholarshipOwl<\/a> surveyed 12,654 high school and college students on the ScholarshipOwl scholarship platform to find out more about how they feel about student loan debt and its implications on their future.<\/p>\n

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Among the respondents, 59% were female, 39% were male, and 2% identified themselves as a different gender identity or preferred not to respond to the question. Just over half (55%) were Caucasian, 16% were Black, 16% were Hispanic\/Latino, 6% were Asian\/Pacific Islander, 1% were American Indian\/Native American and 6% selected \u201cother\u201d or preferred not to respond to the question.<\/p>\n

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Nearly one-third (29%) of the respondents were high school students, with the overwhelming majority high school seniors; more than half (57%) were college undergraduate students, primarily college freshmen and college sophomores; 10% were graduate students and 4% identified themselves as adult\/non-traditional students.<\/p>\n

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Question 1:\u00a0Have you already taken out one or more student loans?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Amongst the respondents, just under one-quarter (22%) said yes, and nearly two-thirds (61%) said, that they hadn’t yet taken out student loans, but that they expect they will need to, bringing the total to 83% of respondents who either are already in student debt or plan to be. Just 16% said they have not taken out student loans yet, and that they won’t be in the future.<\/p>\n

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Question 2: If yes, do you already regret taking on student debt?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Amongst the 3,473 respondents who already have taken out student loans, nearly three-quarters (71%) acknowledged that they already regretted taking on student debt, while just under one-third (29%) said they do not.<\/p>\n

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Question 3: What are your concerns about future student loan repayment? Select all that apply.<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Among the respondents, just 1,388 students (11%) said that they will not be taking out any student loans to pay for college, so they won’t have to worry about how to repay them. Excluding those students from the calculation, the remaining 11,266 respondents indicated they were concerned about having student debt and potentially struggling to repay it. The overwhelming majority (90%) selected more than one response.<\/p>\n

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