Students who graduated from a college in the District in 2009 have the most student debt of any other group in the country, according to a study published last week.

According to a report by the Project on Student Debt, the average debt load of a graduate aged 20-24 in the District is $30,033, up from $29,793 last year. This is the second year in a row that D.C. tops the list.

The average debt amount for American students nationwide is $24,000 – the highest of any year prior, according to the study.

States in the Northeast rounded out the top spots for the states with the highest amount of debt. The second highest average was New Hampshire with $29,443, and the third was Maine with $29,143.

The data was compiled from 1,000 four-year private and public colleges around the country.