Intro

Student debt is a hot-button issue this election season, and a daily struggle for millions of graduates collectively dealing with over $1.2 trillion worth of student debt.

For many students, taking out loans is the only way they can afford higher education -- but not all colleges are created equal. While some schools produce high-earning alumni, students from other colleges get stuck with low incomes and struggle to pay off their loans. In some cases, earnings are so low that students cannot pay back the debt at all, and must default on their loans.

StartClass, an education research site powered by Graphiq, found the 59 colleges where the highest percentage of students are defaulting on their loans. Using data from the College Scorecard project, a White House-sponsored program that delves into "national data on cost, graduation, debt and post-college earnings," StartClass ranked 59 schools by their 3-year default rate. To be considered, each school had to have at least 15,000 undergraduate students enrolled and offer four-year degree programs. The school's three-year repayment rate is also noted, as well as the median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid 10 years after entering the school.

These 59 colleges each reported an 8 percent or higher three-year default rate. Schools in one Southern state take up seven of the first 12 spots and the worst schools average a 20 percent default rate. Additionally, the average earnings for alumni who received federal aid from these schools is about $36,500. With up to one in five students defaulting on their loans, and low earnings reported, potential students may want to pause before considering applying to these schools.

Note: When the default rate between schools was equal, the school with the largest undergraduate enrollment was ranked higher.