College Student Credit Card Debt: Key Statistics & Trends

College student credit card debt statistics show that college students, on average, are more responsible spenders than other young adults their age but not in college. Despite the group's reputation of fiscal irresponsibility, these statistics show they are likely to be good clients of credit card companies.

1. College students carry an average of $500 to $800 in debt while young adults carry closer to $1,500 on average.
2. According to a study from Georgetown University, college students are more likely to pay off their balances than any other group studied.
3. Most college students have between 2 and 3 credit cards. It is difficult to determine if they make their own payments on every card or if one or more cards are provided by parents. Most estimates point to the belief at least one card per student is provided by his or her parents.
4. Over half of the students with credit cards pay off their balance each month.
5. Charge-off rates for college students are around 3% while the national average is closer to 6%.
6. Even though popular opinion neglects to recognize the financial viability of the student population, credit card companies seem to recognize the potential. College students receive between 30 and 50 credit card offers per month.