Missouri student loan default rate drops slightly

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The percentage of Missourians defaulting on their student loan debt is slightly dropping.

The Department of Higher Education on Friday announced the state's three-year default rate dropped half a percentage point from 13.1 percent in 2010 to 12.6 percent in 2011.

Missouri's student loan default rate is slightly under the national rate, which dropped from 14.7 percent to 13.7 percent.

The data tracks students whose first loan payment was due between 2010 and 2011, and who defaulted on their loans before Sept. 30, 2013.

Almost 99,000 Missourians were repaying their loans in that time period and more than 12,500 defaulted.

Missouri's rate falls in the middle compared to other states. Rates range from 6.1 percent in North Dakota to 20.8 percent in New Mexico. Kansas' rate is at 11.1 percent.