Student loan delinquency decreased the most in Wyoming out of any other U.S. state from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026, according to a July 29 report from personal finance website WalletHub.
To determine where student loan delinquency is decreasing the most, WalletHub analyzed proprietary user data on consumer delinquency rates from the fourth to the first quarter, comparing the share of delinquent student loans across all 50 states.
The findings come as healthcare leaders and students navigate a shifting student loan landscape. Student loan caps went into effect July 1, two days after the Education Department reclassified some nursing and advanced practice degrees as “professional,” which allows students in those programs to borrow up to $50,000 per year and $200,000 total, up from the previous $20,500 per year and $100,000 total cap for “nonprofessional” programs.
Here are the 10 states with the biggest decreases and the 10 with the smallest decreases (or increases) in student loan delinquency, per WalletHub:
Biggest decreases
1. Wyoming: -59.75%
2. Vermont: -37.12%
3. Idaho: -35.50%
4. Rhode Island: -33.36%
5. Alaska: -31.16%
6. Utah: -26.52%
7. New Hampshire: -26.33%
8. Colorado: -24.63%
9. Kansas: -23.71%
10. Maine: -23.66%
Smallest decreases (or increases)
41. North Dakota: -10.80%
42. New Jersey: -10.02%
43. Tennessee: -8.22%
44. Florida: -6.24%
45. Virginia: -6.16%
46. Missouri: -6.12%
47. Oklahoma: -5.46%
48. Hawaii: -0.27%
49. Arkansas: 12.30%
50. Kentucky: 24.23%
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