Montana students have the lowest default rate

via Montana Policy Institute - link to full article

"With student loan default rates increasing nationally every year since 2005, Montana’s rate for the most recent year was just 1.8 percent. That compares with a national rate of 7 percent. Those numbers are from Fiscal Year 2008, the most recent year for which data are available." 

I actually just learned this piece of information during my mandatory loan counseling at Montana Tech. This is a rather impressive statistic, although it is difficult to explain exactly why this is. The article attributes this to the responsible nature of Montana youth. While this may be true, I am more apt to look at the job placement ratings. Defaulting on your student loans implies that you had a tough time finding a good paying job. This data would indicate that colleges in Montana are exceptional at preparing their graduates for the job market. This makes me a little more optimistic about my chances of finding a job when I graduate.